2000
#67,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 274
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Zahradka
A Czech surname meaning "little garden" or "small orchard".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 370 Americans carry the last name Zahradka. That puts it at #66,171 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 926,363 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zahradka 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
370
1 in 926,363
Census rank
#66,171
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
323
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 323 bearers of the surname Zahradka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 66171st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zahradka, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zahradka
The surname Zahradka originates from the Czech Republic, specifically from the regions of Bohemia and Moravia. It first appeared in historical records in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century. The name is derived from the Czech word "zahrádka," meaning "little garden" or "small garden." This term is diminutive of "zahrada," which translates to "garden." The surname likely refers to someone who owned or worked in a small garden, indicating an occupation or perhaps a notable feature of a family's dwelling.
Zahradka is a locative surname, which means it is tied to a particular type of place or landscape characteristic. During the medieval period, gardens were essential for sustenance, medicinal purposes, and sometimes ornamental functions. This association with gardening denotes a connection to the land and agricultural lifestyle. The original bearers of the name might have been peasants, gardeners, or landowners known for their well-maintained small gardens.
Historical references to the name Zahradka are found in various old records and manuscripts. One of the earliest occurrences is in Bohemian documents from the 15th century, where individuals bearing this surname were mentioned in municipal registers and land records. The 1547 tax records from the town of Kutná Hora also make note of a Jan Zahradka who owned substantial garden plots.
A significant historical figure with this surname was Matěj Zahradka, born in 1618 in the town of Slaný. He was known for his contributions to local agriculture and improvements in horticultural practices in his community. Another notable person is František Zahradka, born in 1780, a gardener from Prague who became known for his detailed gardening manuals and contributions to urban gardening during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
During the 19th century, the Austro-Hungarian Empire's records document several Zahradka families who actively participated in local governance. One such figure is Josef Zahradka, born in 1822, who served as a town councilor in Brno and was instrumental in the town's beautification initiatives, focusing on community gardening projects.
Moving into the 20th century, Pavel Zahradka, born in 1895 in Olomouc, stands out as a prominent agronomist who specialized in the genetic study of plants. His research significantly impacted agricultural practices in Central Europe. Another distinguished individual is Anna Zahradka, born in 1927, a horticulturalist who made notable advancements in the cultivation of ornamental plants and flowers, contributing substantially to the horticultural community through her writings and public lectures.
Throughout its history, the surname Zahradka has been closely linked with the land, agriculture, and the nurturing of gardens. The name's endurance over the centuries highlights the importance of gardening and horticulture in Czech culture, as well as the respect given to those who cultivate the earth.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zahradka
Among Census respondents with the surname Zahradka, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Zahradka 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 Zahradka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 305
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 8
- Two or more races1.2% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 3
- Black or African American0.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zahradka
Zahradka appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#62,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 318
+44 bearers (+16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 4,414 places
2020
#66,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 323
+5 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 3,268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #67,317 | 274 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #62,903 | 318 | 0.11 | +44 bearers (+16.1%) | Up 4,414 places |
| 2020 | #66,171 | 323 | 0.11 | +5 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 3,268 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 Zahradka 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 | #62,903 | #66,171 | -5.2% |
| Count | 318 | 323 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zahradka bearers went from 318 to 323 (+1.6% change). The surname moved down 3,268 positions in the national ranking, going from #62,903 to #66,171.
FAQ
Zahradka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zahradka?
Name Census estimates that about 370 living Americans carry the surname Zahradka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 926,363 residents.
How common is Zahradka?
Zahradka ranks #66,171 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 323 people with the surname Zahradka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (370), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Zahradka.
Has Zahradka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zahradka went from 318 recorded bearers to 323. That is an increase of 5 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #62,903 to #66,171.
What does the Census say about the background of Zahradka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zahradka, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Zahradka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (305 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zahradka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Zahradka (2000, 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 Zahradka mean?
A Czech surname meaning "little garden" or "small orchard". 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 Zahradka (0.11 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 Zahradka?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.