2000
#84,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Bolka
A surname derived from the Slavic word for a type of small falcon or hawk.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 229 Americans carry the last name Bolka. That puts it at #97,359 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,496,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bolka 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
229
1 in 1,496,744
Census rank
#97,359
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
200
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 200 bearers of the surname Bolka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 97359th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolka, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bolka
The surname BOLKA has its origins in Poland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Polish word "bolek," which means "little bear" or "bear cub." This suggests that the name may have been originally used as a nickname or personal descriptor for someone who was perceived as having a bear-like demeanor or physical characteristics.
In its earliest form, the name was spelled "Bolka" or "Bolko," and it was commonly found in the regions of Silesia and Greater Poland. Several historical records from the Middle Ages, such as church registers and municipal documents, contain references to individuals bearing this surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BOLKA can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae, a collection of medieval documents related to the history of Silesia. In this collection, there is a mention of a nobleman named Bolko I, Duke of Opole, who lived in the 13th century.
Another notable figure with the surname BOLKA was Bolko II, Duke of Opole and Bytom, who ruled from 1313 to 1354. He was a powerful figure in the region and played a significant role in the political and military affairs of his time.
In the 15th century, a Polish nobleman named Jan Bolka was recorded as owning land in the village of Bolka, which took its name from his surname. This village, now known as Bólków, is located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of modern-day Poland.
During the 16th century, a prominent Polish scholar and humanist named Andrzej Bolka (1512-1568) made significant contributions to the fields of literature and education. He was a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and authored several works on rhetoric and philosophy.
In the 18th century, a Polish military officer named Franciszek Bolka (1736-1811) gained recognition for his service in the Kościuszko Uprising against the Russian Empire. He rose to the rank of colonel and played a crucial role in the defense of Warsaw during the uprising.
Over the centuries, the surname BOLKA has undergone various spelling variations, such as Bolki, Bólka, and Bólko, but the core meaning and origin have remained consistent. While the name is most prevalent in Poland, it has also been carried by individuals of Polish descent in other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bolka
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolka, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bolka 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 Bolka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 178
- Two or more races5.5% · 11
- Black or African American2.0% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bolka
Bolka 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
#90,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 205
-2 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 5,803 places
2020
#97,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
-5 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 7,246 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #84,310 | 207 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #90,113 | 205 | 0.07 | -2 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 5,803 places |
| 2020 | #97,359 | 200 | 0.07 | -5 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 7,246 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 Bolka 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 | #90,113 | #97,359 | -8.0% |
| Count | 205 | 200 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bolka bearers went from 205 to 200 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 7,246 positions in the national ranking, going from #90,113 to #97,359.
FAQ
Bolka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bolka?
Name Census estimates that about 229 living Americans carry the surname Bolka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,496,744 residents.
How common is Bolka?
Bolka ranks #97,359 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 200 people with the surname Bolka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (229), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Bolka.
Has Bolka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bolka went from 205 recorded bearers to 200. That is a decrease of 5 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #90,113 to #97,359.
What does the Census say about the background of Bolka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolka, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Bolka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (178 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bolka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Two or More Races (5.5%), Black (2.0%). 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 Bolka (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 Bolka mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic word for a type of small falcon or hawk. 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 Bolka (0.07 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 Bolka?
See how many people are called Bolka on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.