2000
#11,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,588
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Bonk
A surname derived from the Middle English word "bonk," meaning a bank, hill, or raised area of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,827 Americans carry the last name Bonk. That puts it at #12,080 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,243 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bonk 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
2.8K
1 in 121,243
Census rank
#12,080
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,465 bearers of the surname Bonk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12080th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonk, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bonk
The surname "BONK" is of Polish origin, with its roots tracing back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Polish word "bonk," which means "barrel" or "cask." This suggests that the name may have been derived from an occupation or trade related to barrel-making or coopering.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BONK" can be found in the records of the town of Krakow, Poland, dating back to the late 1500s. The name appeared in various documents, such as tax records and land registries, indicating its presence in the region during that time period.
In the early 17th century, the name "BONK" was also found in the historical records of the nearby town of Katowice, where a family of barrel-makers resided. This further reinforces the connection between the surname and the profession of coopering.
A notable figure bearing the name "BONK" was Jan Bonk, a prominent barrel-maker who lived in the town of Gdańsk (formerly known as Danzig) during the mid-17th century. Records indicate that he was a respected craftsman and a member of the local guild of coopers.
Another individual of historical significance was Stanisław Bonk, a Polish nobleman who served as a military commander during the Polish-Swedish War in the late 17th century. He was known for his bravery and tactical skills on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, the name "BONK" appeared in the records of the village of Brzeźno, located in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region of Poland. A family by the name of Bonk resided there and were engaged in agricultural activities.
Around the same time period, a renowned scholar and linguist named Franciszek Bonk made significant contributions to the study of Slavic languages. He was born in 1820 and authored several influential works on Polish and Slavic philology.
Another notable figure was Józef Bonk, a Polish painter and artist who lived from 1876 to 1954. He was known for his landscape paintings and portraits, and his works were exhibited in various galleries throughout Poland.
The surname "BONK" has maintained its presence in Poland and other regions with Polish communities, reflecting its deep-rooted history and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bonk
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonk, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bonk 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 Bonk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 2,295
- Two or more races3.0% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- Black or African American0.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bonk
Bonk 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
#11,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,726
+138 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 310 places
2020
#12,080
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,465
-261 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 543 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,227 | 2,588 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,537 | 2,726 | 0.92 | +138 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 310 places |
| 2020 | #12,080 | 2,465 | 0.82 | -261 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 543 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 Bonk 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 | #11,537 | #12,080 | -4.7% |
| Count | 2,726 | 2,465 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.92 | 0.82 | -10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bonk bearers went from 2,726 to 2,465 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 543 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,537 to #12,080.
FAQ
Bonk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bonk?
Name Census estimates that about 2,827 living Americans carry the surname Bonk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,243 residents.
How common is Bonk?
Bonk ranks #12,080 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,465 people with the surname Bonk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,827), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bonk.
Has Bonk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bonk went from 2,726 recorded bearers to 2,465. That is a decrease of 261 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,537 to #12,080.
What does the Census say about the background of Bonk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonk, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Bonk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (2,295 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bonk 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 (3.0%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Bonk (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 Bonk mean?
A surname derived from the Middle English word "bonk," meaning a bank, hill, or raised area of land. 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 Bonk (0.82 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 Bonk?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.