2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wojta
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive form of the name Wojciech.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Wojta. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wojta surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Wojta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wojta, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wojta
The surname Wojta is of Polish origin and has its roots in medieval Poland. Its etymology can be traced back to the word "Wojt," which refers to a village leader or a headman, akin to a mayor in a rural setting. This title was often given to the leading figure in a village or small town during the feudal era. The name Wojta emerged as a patronymic surname, implying "son of the Wojt" or "descendant of the Wojt."
The name Wojta originates from regions within Poland, predominantly from areas such as Lesser Poland (Małopolska) and Greater Poland (Wielkopolska), where the feudal system and village leadership roles were well established. Over time, the suffix "-a" was added, denoting familial descent and indicating a relationship to the original title.
Historical documents and records, such as tax registries and church records from the 14th and 15th centuries, reveal the presence of individuals with the surname Wojta. One early recorded instance can be found in a 1425 census from the Kraków region, in which a certain Jan Wojta is listed as a prominent landowner.
In subsequent centuries, the name Wojta appears in various legal documents and estate records. Another notable historical figure, Piotr Wojta, was documented in 1560 in the Poznań region as an influential local leader. His role further solidified the association of the name with village leadership and governance.
By the 17th century, the Wojta family name had spread to other parts of Poland. In 1650, a nobleman named Andrzej Wojta was mentioned in the records of the Lublin Voivodeship, where he served as a judge and local administrator. This highlights the evolving status of the family from village heads to more prominent social roles.
Another significant individual is Katarzyna Wojta, born in 1715, who became a noted benefactor in the town of Wieliczka. Her philanthropic activities, especially in funding local churches and schools, left a lasting legacy in the community, highlighting the continuing prominence of the Wojta family.
In the 19th century, as Poland underwent partitions and significant social changes, the surname Wojta appeared in emigration records. Józef Wojta, born in 1830, emigrated to the United States during the wave of Polish migration in the mid-1800s. His records, found in Ellis Island archives, indicate his settlement in Chicago, where he contributed to the growing Polish-American community.
The surname Wojta retains its historical connotations of leadership and descent from individuals who played significant roles in their communities. Through centuries, from medieval Polish villages to the diaspora across the world, the name Wojta carries a legacy of governance, influence, and community service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wojta
Among Census respondents with the surname Wojta, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wojta bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Wojta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wojta
Wojta appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 363 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 363 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Wojta surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #154,907 | #155,270 | -0.2% |
| Count | 105 | 101 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wojta bearers went from 105 to 101 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 363 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #155,270.
FAQ
Wojta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wojta?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Wojta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Wojta?
Wojta ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Wojta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wojta.
Has Wojta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wojta went from 105 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #154,907 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Wojta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wojta, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wojta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wojta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Wojta (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Wojta mean?
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive form of the name Wojciech. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Wojta (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Wojta?
Want to know how many people are called Wojta? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.