2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Woloch
A Polish topographic surname derived from the Polish word "wołoch" meaning "mountaineer" or "highlander".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Woloch. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woloch 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Woloch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woloch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woloch
The surname Woloch has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly within the regions of Poland and Ukraine. The name is Slavic in origin and is historically linked to the ethnonym "Vlach" or "Wallach," which denoted Romance-speaking shepherds and farmers in the region. The variations in the spelling of the name through history include Woloch, Wolokh, and Włoć, reflecting the phonetic interpretation and regional linguistic nuances.
Historical references to similar surnames can be traced back to medieval manuscripts and records in these regions. The Vlachs were often mentioned in historical chronicles of the 12th and 13th centuries, predominantly in the context of migrations and settlements. The oldest recorded examples of the surname date back to the 15th century in Polish records, where it was documented in the registry of local nobles and farmers.
One of the earliest individuals with the surname was Jan Woloch, a minor noble recorded in Polish records in 1456. His family was registered in the area around Kraków, Poland. By the 17th century, the surname had appeared in Ukrainian records, with Mykhailo Wolokh mentioned in a 1624 tax document in the Kyiv region.
In the 18th century, the name Woloch became more commonly associated with the region of Galicia, an area that now spans modern-day Poland and Ukraine. During this period, records indicate that a family by the name of Woloch had established themselves in Lviv. A notable person from this era was Petro Woloch, born in 1768, who was a well-known local merchant and landowner.
Moving into the 19th century, the name became more prevalent in historical documents, particularly related to Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. Abraham Woloch, born in 1823, was a prominent figure in the Jewish community of Białystok and was actively involved in local trade and education reforms.
During the early 20th century, the name Woloch surfaces in records related to the Holodomor, the man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine. One individual, Natalia Woloch, born in 1889, documented the harrowing experiences of her family during the famine years of 1932-1933. Her memoirs provide vital historical insights into this tragic period.
In sum, the surname Woloch has a rich history deeply rooted in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, illustrating its evolution through various epochs and socio-political landscapes. With significant historical references and notable individuals, the name embodies a legacy that connects past centuries to the present day.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woloch
Among Census respondents with the surname Woloch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Woloch 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 Woloch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 97
- Two or more races5.6% · 6
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woloch
Woloch 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,244 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 Woloch 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 | #149,395 | #151,639 | -1.5% |
| Count | 110 | 107 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woloch bearers went from 110 to 107 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,244 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #151,639.
FAQ
Woloch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woloch?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Woloch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Woloch?
Woloch ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Woloch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Woloch.
Has Woloch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woloch went from 110 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Woloch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woloch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Black (2.8%). 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 Woloch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woloch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (5.6%), Black (2.8%). 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 Woloch (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 Woloch mean?
A Polish topographic surname derived from the Polish word "wołoch" meaning "mountaineer" or "highlander". 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 Woloch (0.04 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 share the surname Woloch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.