2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bukacek
A surname originating from the Czech or Slovak region, likely referring to a person who made buky (beech wood buckets).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Bukacek. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bukacek 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Bukacek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bukacek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bukacek
The surname Bukacek originates from the Czech Republic, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Czech word "bukati," meaning "to knock" or "to beat," potentially referring to an occupation or characteristic associated with the name's earliest bearers.
The earliest known record of the Bukacek surname is found in a 13th-century manuscript from the Bohemian region, where it was spelled "Bukaček." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been influenced by local dialects or regional pronunciations.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Landtafel von Mähren, a historical record of landowners in the Moravian region. One notable entry is Jan Bukacek, a landowner born in Brno in 1367.
By the 15th century, the Bukacek name had spread throughout Bohemia and Moravia, with records indicating its presence in various villages and towns. One prominent figure from this era was Matej Bukacek, a renowned blacksmith who lived in Prague from 1421 to 1489.
During the 16th century, the Bukacek surname gained further recognition with the birth of Jindrich Bukacek (1532-1605), a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Prague. His works on religious philosophy and ethics were widely read throughout Central Europe.
As the Bukacek name continued to spread across the Czech lands, it also found its way into neighboring regions. In the 17th century, a notable figure was Jakub Bukacek (1628-1701), a skilled carpenter from Silesia who was renowned for his intricate woodcarvings in churches and monasteries.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Jan Bukacek (1741-1811), a celebrated musician and composer from Moravia. His compositions for string quartets and chamber ensembles were highly regarded and performed throughout Europe.
In the 19th century, the Bukacek name gained prominence with the birth of Katerina Bukacekova (1854-1935), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. Her efforts to establish schools for girls and promote equal opportunities for education left a lasting impact on Czech society.
While the origins of the Bukacek surname can be traced back to the Czech lands, it has since spread across various regions and countries, carried by individuals and families who have contributed to the rich tapestry of history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bukacek
Among Census respondents with the surname Bukacek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bukacek 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 Bukacek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 92
- Two or more races6.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bukacek
Bukacek 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,033 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-6 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,033 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 225 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 Bukacek 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 | #156,044 | #156,269 | -0.1% |
| Count | 104 | 98 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bukacek bearers went from 104 to 98 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 225 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #156,269.
FAQ
Bukacek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bukacek?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Bukacek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Bukacek?
Bukacek ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Bukacek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Bukacek.
Has Bukacek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bukacek went from 104 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #156,044 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Bukacek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bukacek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%). 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 Bukacek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bukacek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (6.1%). 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 Bukacek (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 Bukacek mean?
A surname originating from the Czech or Slovak region, likely referring to a person who made buky (beech wood buckets). 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 Bukacek (0.03 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 Bukacek?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.