2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Korban
A surname derived from the Hebrew word meaning "sacrifice" or "offering".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 151 Americans carry the last name Korban. That puts it at #133,220 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,269,896 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Korban 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
151
1 in 2,269,896
Census rank
#133,220
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
132
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 132 bearers of the surname Korban in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 133220th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Korban, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Korban
The surname Korban originated in Poland and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old Polish word "korba," which means "a curved handle or hook." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade involving the use of such tools.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Korban can be found in the 1564 records of the city of Krakow, where a certain Jan Korban is mentioned as a resident. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
In the 17th century, the name appears in several historical documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. For instance, a Marcin Korban is listed as a landowner in the village of Buczacz, located in what is now western Ukraine, in the year 1623.
During the 18th century, the Korban surname began to spread beyond the borders of Poland. In 1742, a merchant named Jakub Korban is recorded as having settled in the city of Riga, which was then part of the Swedish Empire but is now the capital of Latvia.
One of the most notable individuals with the Korban surname was Karol Korban, a Polish poet and writer who lived from 1807 to 1885. He is best known for his lyrical poetry, which celebrated the beauty of the Polish countryside and the struggles of the nation's peasantry.
Another prominent figure was Józef Korban, born in 1865, who played a significant role in the Polish independence movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a member of the Polish Socialist Party and actively participated in the revolutionary activities that ultimately led to Poland regaining its sovereignty in 1918.
In the realm of academia, the name Korban is associated with Tadeusz Korban, a renowned Polish historian and professor who lived from 1906 to 1992. He specialized in the study of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and authored several influential works on the subject.
The Korban surname can also be found in various place names throughout Poland and the surrounding regions. For example, there is a village called Korbanówka in southeastern Poland, which likely derived its name from the presence of families bearing the Korban surname in the area.
Overall, the surname Korban has a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural and geographical landscape of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Poland. While its origins may have been humble, referring to a specific trade or occupation, it has been carried by numerous individuals who have left their mark on the region's history, literature, and academic pursuits.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Korban
Among Census respondents with the surname Korban, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Korban 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 Korban surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 4
- Two or more races2.3% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Korban
Korban 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
#133,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+27 bearers (+25.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 21,687 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #133,220 | 132 | 0.04 | +27 bearers (+25.7%) | Up 21,687 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 Korban 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 | #154,907 | #133,220 | 14.0% |
| Count | 105 | 132 | 25.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Korban bearers went from 105 to 132 (+25.7% change). The surname moved up 21,687 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #133,220.
FAQ
Korban surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Korban?
Name Census estimates that about 151 living Americans carry the surname Korban. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,269,896 residents.
How common is Korban?
Korban ranks #133,220 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 132 people with the surname Korban. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (151), 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 Korban.
Has Korban become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Korban went from 105 recorded bearers to 132. That is an increase of 27 (+25.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #133,220.
What does the Census say about the background of Korban?
Among Census respondents with the surname Korban, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Korban in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (124 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Korban appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Korban (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 Korban mean?
A surname derived from the Hebrew word meaning "sacrifice" or "offering". 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 Korban (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 are called Korban?
You can see how many people have the surname Korban on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.