2000
#36,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 577
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Very Rare Last name
Rezek
A surname derived from a Czech word meaning "butcher" or potentially from the German word for "carver."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 667 Americans carry the last name Rezek. That puts it at #40,538 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 513,875 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rezek 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
667
1 in 513,875
Census rank
#40,538
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
582
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 582 bearers of the surname Rezek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 40538th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rezek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rezek
The surname REZEK has its origins in the Czech Republic, tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Czech word "řezek," meaning "cutlet" or "slice," suggesting a possible connection to occupations like butchering or carving.
In the early 15th century, the name REZEK appeared in historical records from the town of Brno, which was then part of the Margraviate of Moravia. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in a 1412 manuscript from the Benedictine monastery in Rajhrad.
During the 16th century, the REZEK name spread to other regions of Bohemia and Moravia. Notably, Jan Rezek (1510-1578), a renowned blacksmith from Prague, was recorded as having crafted intricate metalwork for several churches and noble residences.
In the 17th century, the REZEK surname gained prominence with the birth of Václav Rezek (1647-1712), a prominent Czech historian and author who wrote extensively about the history of Bohemia and the Thirty Years' War.
Another notable figure was Karel Rezek (1779-1857), a Czech composer and violinist who served as the court musician to Prince Metternich in Vienna. His compositions, particularly his violin concertos, were highly acclaimed during his lifetime.
The 19th century saw the rise of František Rezek (1825-1903), a respected Czech philosopher and educator who taught at the University of Prague and authored several influential works on ethics and logic.
In more recent times, one of the most renowned individuals with the REZEK surname was the Czech artist and illustrator, Josef Rezek (1892-1972), whose works captured the beauty of traditional Czech folk tales and landscapes.
While the REZEK name may have originated from a humble occupation, it has since been carried by notable figures across various fields, leaving an indelible mark on Czech history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rezek
Among Census respondents with the surname Rezek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Rezek 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 Rezek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 542
- Two or more races2.9% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rezek
Rezek 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
#36,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 612
+35 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 47 places
2020
#40,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 582
-30 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 4,013 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,572 | 577 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,525 | 612 | 0.21 | +35 bearers (+6.1%) | Up 47 places |
| 2020 | #40,538 | 582 | 0.19 | -30 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 4,013 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 Rezek 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 | #36,525 | #40,538 | -11.0% |
| Count | 612 | 582 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.19 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rezek bearers went from 612 to 582 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 4,013 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,525 to #40,538.
FAQ
Rezek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rezek?
Name Census estimates that about 667 living Americans carry the surname Rezek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 513,875 residents.
How common is Rezek?
Rezek ranks #40,538 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 582 people with the surname Rezek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (667), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Rezek.
Has Rezek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rezek went from 612 recorded bearers to 582. That is a decrease of 30 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #36,525 to #40,538.
What does the Census say about the background of Rezek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rezek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Rezek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (542 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rezek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Rezek (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 Rezek mean?
A surname derived from a Czech word meaning "butcher" or potentially from the German word for "carver." 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 Rezek (0.19 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 common is the surname Rezek?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Rezek at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.