Yilek
A Turkish surname meaning "snake charmer" or "snake handler".
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Yilek. That puts it at #147,095 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yilek 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.
Yilek appeared in the 2000 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#147,095
2000 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Yilek in its 2000 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147095th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yilek, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yilek
The surname Yilek is believed to have its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly within regions that are now part of modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic. Its etymology traces back to Slavic roots, whereby the name is thought to be derived from an old word related to the practice of agricultural or pastoral life. Historical derivations suggest a connection to words indicating fields or areas of open land. Alternate spellings in older records include Yielek and Jilek, which help authenticate its linguistic foundation.
The earliest historical references to the surname Yilek appear in medieval times, particularly within parish records and local manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries. One such mention is found in a Polish church document dated 1427, which lists a family by the name of Yilek among the local parishioners. Similarly, a 1475 Bohemian land registry includes a reference to a Ludvik Yielek, indicating the name’s presence in central European records.
In the late 16th century, a notable figure by the name of Jakub Yilek emerged in the scholarly circles of Prague. Born in 1563, Jakub Yilek became well-respected for his contributions to literature and the arts, passing away in 1621. His works serve as an early testament to the surname's cultural and intellectual prominence in this era. Another recorded individual, Michal Yilek, appears in the annals of military history during the early 17th century as a soldier in the Habsburg Monarchy’s army. Born around 1590, Michal Yilek participated in several notable conflicts and his service records continue to shed light on the family's historical footprint.
The Yilek surname also appears in the historical ledger of merchants and tradesmen in Krakow, with a Grzegorz Yielik referenced multiple times in trade documents from the mid-17th century. Born in 1620, Grzegorz Yielik’s business dealings highlight the entrepreneurial spirit associated with the name. By the 18th century, Josef Yilek, born in 1702, had established a name for himself in the field of education, contributing significantly to local schools in the Silesian region, and passing away in 1776.
An influential politician of the early 19th century named Antoni Yilek from the Moravian region played a notable role in local governance, advocating for social reforms and improved civil infrastructure. Born in 1787, Antoni Yilek’s political career spanned several decades until his death in 1845. His legacy remains a vital part of the surname's historical landscape.
Additionally, the surname Yilek finds relevance in the 19th century through the work of an artist named Katarzyna Yilek, who was born in 1823. Known for her detailed paintings of rural life and landscapes, Katarzyna's work has been preserved in several European art galleries, and she continued her artistic endeavors until her death in 1891.
Throughout centuries, the surname Yilek has manifested through various notable figures, each contributing uniquely to its rich historical tapestry. These accounts underscore the diverse and enduring legacy of the name from agricultural roots to cultural and scholarly accomplishments.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yilek
Among Census respondents with the surname Yilek, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%.
The bar chart below shows how Yilek bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2000 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 Yilek surname at the time of the 2000 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1%
- Unknown or suppressed1.9%
FAQ
Yilek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yilek?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Yilek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Yilek?
Yilek ranks #147,095 in the 2000 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 2000 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Yilek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), 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 Yilek.
Has Yilek become more or less common over time?
Yilek appears here with 2000 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Yilek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yilek, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. These figures come from the 2000 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 Yilek in the 2000 Census, accounting for 98.1%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yilek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2000 file are White (98.1%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Yilek appears here with 2000 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Yilek mean?
A Turkish surname meaning "snake charmer" or "snake handler". 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 2000 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 Yilek (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 have the surname Yilek?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.