2000
#27,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 807
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Very Rare Last name
Ripka
A surname deriving from a Czech nickname meaning "little carper" or "complainer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 920 Americans carry the last name Ripka. That puts it at #31,009 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 372,559 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ripka 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
920
1 in 372,559
Census rank
#31,009
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
802
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 802 bearers of the surname Ripka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31009th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ripka, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ripka
The surname Ripka originates from the Czech Republic and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Czech word "rybář," which means "fisherman." The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bohemian region, particularly in areas located along rivers and lakes where fishing was a common occupation.
In the 14th century, the name Ripka appears in various historical documents, including local parish records and land registries. One notable mention is found in the Chronica Bohemica, a medieval chronicle written in the late 13th century, which references a certain Petr Ripka, a fisherman from the town of Kutná Hora.
The Ripka surname has several variations in spelling, such as Rypka, Rzypka, and Rybka, which can be attributed to regional dialects and transcription differences over time. These variations are most commonly found in areas that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, including parts of modern-day Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Ripka was Jan Ripka, born around 1420 in the town of Litoměřice. He was a prominent fisherman and trader who supplied fresh fish to the local nobility and bourgeoisie.
Another notable figure was Václav Ripka (1592-1670), a renowned Czech poet and playwright who hailed from the town of Jičín. His works, including the play "Komedie o lidském životě" (Comedy of Human Life), were widely celebrated during the Czech Renaissance period.
In the 18th century, the Ripka surname gained prominence with the birth of Antonín Ripka (1746-1828), a highly respected Czech painter and engraver. His works, which often depicted religious themes and landscapes, can be found in several churches and galleries throughout the Czech Republic.
The 19th century saw the rise of František Ripka (1814-1886), a prominent Czech politician and lawyer who played a significant role in the Czech National Revival movement. He served as a member of the Austrian Imperial Council and was a staunch advocate for Czech autonomy within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Lastly, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Ripka was Hubert Ripka (1888-1958), a Czech diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Czechoslovakia from 1945 to 1948. He was a vocal supporter of democracy and played a crucial role in the early years of the Czechoslovak Republic.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ripka
Among Census respondents with the surname Ripka, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ripka 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 Ripka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 743
- Two or more races3.2% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ripka
Ripka 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
#28,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 848
+41 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 245 places
2020
#31,009
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 802
-46 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 2,794 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,970 | 807 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,215 | 848 | 0.29 | +41 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 245 places |
| 2020 | #31,009 | 802 | 0.27 | -46 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 2,794 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 Ripka 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 | #28,215 | #31,009 | -9.9% |
| Count | 848 | 802 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.27 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ripka bearers went from 848 to 802 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 2,794 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,215 to #31,009.
FAQ
Ripka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ripka?
Name Census estimates that about 920 living Americans carry the surname Ripka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 372,559 residents.
How common is Ripka?
Ripka ranks #31,009 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 802 people with the surname Ripka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (920), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Ripka.
Has Ripka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ripka went from 848 recorded bearers to 802. That is a decrease of 46 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,215 to #31,009.
What does the Census say about the background of Ripka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ripka, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Ripka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (743 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ripka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Ripka (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 Ripka mean?
A surname deriving from a Czech nickname meaning "little carper" or "complainer". 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 Ripka (0.27 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 Ripka?
If you just want to know how many people are called Ripka, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.