2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bednark
A topographic surname denoting someone living near a beechwood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Bednark. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bednark 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Bednark in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bednark, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bednark
The surname Bednark is of Polish origin, originating in the region of Silesia in the late Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Polish word "bednar," which means "cooper" or "barrel maker." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely coopers by trade, crafting barrels and casks for storing and transporting goods.
According to historical records, the earliest known mention of the surname Bednark can be traced back to the 15th century in the town of Bielsko-Biała, located in southern Poland. The name appears in a tax register from 1472, listing a certain Jan Bednark as a resident of the town.
In the 16th century, the surname Bednark began to spread throughout Silesia and neighboring regions, as coopers were in high demand due to the thriving trade and industry of the time. The name can be found in various church records and town registers from this period.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Bednark was Jakub Bednark, a master cooper who lived in the city of Wrocław (then known as Breslau) in the late 16th century. He was renowned for his exceptional craftsmanship and is mentioned in several guild records from that time.
Another person of note was Tomasz Bednark, a cooper born in 1678 in the town of Opole. He is recorded in local archives as having been involved in a legal dispute over the ownership of a parcel of land, providing insight into the lives of artisans during that era.
In the 19th century, the surname Bednark began to appear in other parts of Europe as Polish immigrants settled in various countries. For instance, a man named Franciszek Bednark, born in 1821, is listed in records as having immigrated to the United States in the 1870s and settled in Chicago.
Other notable individuals with the surname Bednark include Karol Bednark (1889-1972), a Polish poet and writer who was active in the early 20th century, and Janina Bednark (1914-2001), a Polish resistance fighter during World War II who later became a respected educator.
While the surname Bednark is not among the most common in Poland today, it remains a testament to the rich history and cultural heritage of the country's artisans and skilled tradespeople.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bednark
Among Census respondents with the surname Bednark, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bednark 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 Bednark surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bednark
Bednark 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,728 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,836 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 18,728 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 4,836 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 Bednark 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 | #148,347 | #143,511 | 3.3% |
| Count | 111 | 118 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bednark bearers went from 111 to 118 (+6.3% change). The surname moved up 4,836 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #143,511.
FAQ
Bednark surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bednark?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Bednark. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Bednark?
Bednark ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Bednark. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Bednark.
Has Bednark become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bednark went from 111 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 7 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Bednark?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bednark, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Bednark in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bednark appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Bednark (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 Bednark mean?
A topographic surname denoting someone living near a beechwood. 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 Bednark (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 last name Bednark?
See how many Americans have the surname Bednark on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.