2000
#56,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 336
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Babka
A surname of Polish origin, possibly derived from the word for grandmother or a type of sweet bread.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 420 Americans carry the last name Babka. That puts it at #59,630 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 816,082 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Babka 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
420
1 in 816,082
Census rank
#59,630
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
366
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 366 bearers of the surname Babka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 59630th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Babka, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Babka
The surname "BABKA" is of Polish origin, originating in the region of Lesser Poland (Małopolska) during the late Middle Ages. It likely derives from the Polish word "babka," meaning "grandmother" or "little old woman." The name may have been initially used as a nickname for an elderly woman or to describe someone with a grandmotherly appearance or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "BABKA" can be found in the Akta Grodzkie Krakowskie (Cracow Castle Records) from the 15th century. These legal documents mention individuals with the name "BABKA" residing in the villages and towns around Kraków, the historical capital of Lesser Poland.
The name "BABKA" appears to have spread throughout Poland over the following centuries, with various spellings and regional variations emerging. For example, the name was sometimes written as "BABKA," "BABKA," or "BABKA," reflecting differences in local dialects and orthographic conventions.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name "BABKA" was Jan BABKA (c. 1520-1590), a Polish Catholic priest and rector of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. He played a significant role in the intellectual and religious life of the city during the Renaissance period.
During the 17th century, the name "BABKA" was associated with several Polish nobles and landowners. One prominent figure was Marcin BABKA (1635-1698), a nobleman from the Sandomierz region who served as a starost (administrator) and held estates in the villages of Łubnice and Niwiska.
In the 19th century, the name "BABKA" gained further recognition through the work of Józef BABKA (1816-1892), a Polish painter and illustrator renowned for his depictions of rural life and landscapes. His paintings captured the essence of Polish folk culture and traditions, earning him widespread acclaim.
Another notable bearer of the surname "BABKA" was Stanisław BABKA (1859-1932), a Polish engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing one of the earliest successful designs for a gasoline-powered automobile, which he unveiled in 1888, predating the better-known achievements of Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler.
Throughout its history, the surname "BABKA" has maintained a strong presence in Poland, particularly in the regions of Lesser Poland and Sandomierz. While the name has also spread to other parts of the world through Polish migration, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era in the heart of southern Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Babka
Among Census respondents with the surname Babka, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Babka 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 Babka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 337
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 15
- Two or more races2.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Babka
Babka 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
#60,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 336
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 3,219 places
2020
#59,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 366
+30 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 415 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,826 | 336 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #60,045 | 336 | 0.11 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,219 places |
| 2020 | #59,630 | 366 | 0.12 | +30 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 415 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 Babka 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 | #60,045 | #59,630 | 0.7% |
| Count | 336 | 366 | 8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.12 | 11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Babka bearers went from 336 to 366 (+8.9% change). The surname moved up 415 positions in the national ranking, going from #60,045 to #59,630.
FAQ
Babka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Babka?
Name Census estimates that about 420 living Americans carry the surname Babka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 816,082 residents.
How common is Babka?
Babka ranks #59,630 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 366 people with the surname Babka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (420), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Babka.
Has Babka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Babka went from 336 recorded bearers to 366. That is an increase of 30 (+8.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #60,045 to #59,630.
What does the Census say about the background of Babka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Babka, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Babka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (337 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Babka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Babka (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 Babka mean?
A surname of Polish origin, possibly derived from the word for grandmother or a type of sweet bread. 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 Babka (0.12 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 Babka?
Want to know how many people have the last name Babka? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.