2000
#73,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 247
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Zitko
A Slavic surname derived from the word "žito" meaning grain or wheat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 267 Americans carry the last name Zitko. That puts it at #86,153 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,283,724 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zitko 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
267
1 in 1,283,724
Census rank
#86,153
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
233
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 233 bearers of the surname Zitko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 86153rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zitko, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Black (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zitko
The surname Zitko has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically within the regions that are now part of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This surname is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, likely around the 13th to 15th centuries, as family names began to solidify in these areas.
The name Zitko is derived from a diminutive form of the personal name Zit. The name Zit itself has Slavic roots, originating from the word "žito," which means "grain" or "corn." This suggests that the original bearers of the surname might have been involved in agriculture or grain cultivation, which was common in rural Central and Eastern Europe.
Historical references to the surname Zitko are found in various regional records and manuscripts. One of the earliest documented mentions appears in a 14th-century register in the Kingdom of Bohemia, a medieval and early modern country, which is now part of the Czech Republic. This suggests the name was well-established by that time.
The earliest known individual with the surname Zitko is Ivan Zitko, a peasant farmer from the Moravian region, recorded in 1425. Another early instance of the name can be found in the 15th century, belonging to Mikulas Zitko, a soldier who fought in the Hussite Wars, specifically noted in documents from 1436.
Across the centuries, the Zitko name persisted, appearing in various forms in historical records. During the Austro-Hungarian period, a prominent figure was Jan Zitko (1630–1704), a scribe and chronicler who documented local events in Moravia. His works provide valuable insights into the life and times of his era.
In the 18th century, the name appears again in a different context with Katarina Zitko (1749–1815), an herbalist and healer known in her Slovakian village for maintaining traditional healing practices. Her knowledge was passed down through generations, earning her a place in local folklore.
The surname continues to be distinguished into the 19th century with Josef Zitko (1782–1851), an elected municipal leader in a small Czech village who played a significant role in local agricultural reforms and improvements in communal living standards.
The longevity and consistent appearances of the surname Zitko in historical records highlight its enduring legacy in the regions of present-day Czech Republic and Slovakia. Each bearer's contributions, whether in agriculture, warfare, chronicling, or community leadership, underscore the diverse backgrounds and impactful lives of those who carried this surname throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zitko
Among Census respondents with the surname Zitko, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Black (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Zitko 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 Zitko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 216
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 16
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zitko
Zitko 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
#78,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 244
-3 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 5,162 places
2020
#86,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 233
-11 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 7,837 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #73,154 | 247 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,316 | 244 | 0.08 | -3 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 5,162 places |
| 2020 | #86,153 | 233 | 0.08 | -11 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 7,837 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 Zitko 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 | #78,316 | #86,153 | -10.0% |
| Count | 244 | 233 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zitko bearers went from 244 to 233 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 7,837 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,316 to #86,153.
FAQ
Zitko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zitko?
Name Census estimates that about 267 living Americans carry the surname Zitko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,283,724 residents.
How common is Zitko?
Zitko ranks #86,153 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 233 people with the surname Zitko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (267), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Zitko.
Has Zitko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zitko went from 244 recorded bearers to 233. That is a decrease of 11 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #78,316 to #86,153.
What does the Census say about the background of Zitko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zitko, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Black (0.4%). 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 Zitko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (216 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zitko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (6.9%), Black (0.4%). 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 Zitko (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 Zitko mean?
A Slavic surname derived from the word "žito" meaning grain or wheat. 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 Zitko (0.08 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 are called Zitko?
Want to know how common the surname Zitko is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.