2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bollack
A surname with possible origins deriving from the German words meaning "ball" and "pocket".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Bollack. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bollack 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Bollack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bollack, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bollack
The surname BOLLACK originated in Germany, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Boll," which means a round or globular object, potentially referring to someone who worked with or lived near an area abundant with such objects.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BOLLACK can be found in the German parish records from the town of Hesse, dating back to the late 1600s. There are also records of the surname being spelled as "Bollack" or "Bollock" in various regions of Germany during the same time period.
In the 18th century, the BOLLACK name began appearing in historical documents and records across other parts of Europe, likely due to migration patterns. For example, in 1734, a Johann BOLLACK was recorded as a merchant in the city of Strasbourg, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire.
As the centuries progressed, the BOLLACK surname spread further afield, with notable individuals bearing the name emerging across different regions. One such figure was Wilhelm BOLLACK, a German philosopher and writer born in 1822, who wrote extensively on ethics and morality.
Another notable BOLLACK was Max BOLLACK, a German-born American engineer born in 1890, who played a significant role in the development of early automotive technologies and held several patents related to engine design.
In the United Kingdom, the BOLLACK surname can be traced back to the late 19th century, with records indicating a family of that name residing in the city of Liverpool. One member of this family, James BOLLACK (1867-1939), was a prominent businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the local community.
The BOLLACK surname has also been documented in various historical records from other countries, including France, Switzerland, and the United States, indicating the widespread migration and influence of this family name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bollack
Among Census respondents with the surname Bollack, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bollack 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 Bollack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 112
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bollack
Bollack 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+7 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,412 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 2,412 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Bollack 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 | #136,449 | #142,049 | -4.1% |
| Count | 123 | 120 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bollack bearers went from 123 to 120 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #142,049.
FAQ
Bollack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bollack?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Bollack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Bollack?
Bollack ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Bollack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Bollack.
Has Bollack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bollack went from 123 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Bollack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bollack, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Bollack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bollack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Bollack (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 Bollack mean?
A surname with possible origins deriving from the German words meaning "ball" and "pocket". 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 Bollack (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 Americans have the surname Bollack?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.