2000
#37,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Capek
A Czech surname that refers to the occupation of a hatter or furrier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 697 Americans carry the last name Capek. That puts it at #39,103 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 491,757 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Capek 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
697
1 in 491,757
Census rank
#39,103
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
608
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 608 bearers of the surname Capek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39103rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Capek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Capek
The surname Capek is of Czech origin, derived from the word "cap" meaning "rooster" or "cock." It is believed to have originated as a nickname or occupational name for someone who raised or dealt with roosters or worked as a poultry farmer.
The earliest known record of the Capek surname can be traced back to the 15th century in the region of Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. The name appears in various historical documents and records from that time period, often spelled slightly differently, such as Czapek or Czapeck.
One notable historical reference to the Capek name is found in the Bohemian Land Records from the late 16th century, where a certain Jan Capek is mentioned as owning a small farm in the village of Lhota.
In the 18th century, the Capek surname gained prominence with the birth of Vaclav Matej Capek (1715-1782), a renowned Czech philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy.
Another famous bearer of the Capek name was Karel Capek (1890-1938), a celebrated Czech writer and playwright who is best known for introducing the word "robot" into the English language through his science fiction play "R.U.R."
Other noteworthy individuals with the Capek surname include:
1. Josef Capek (1887-1945), a Czech painter and writer, and the older brother of Karel Capek.
2. Jaroslav Capek (1903-1966), a Czech composer and conductor known for his orchestral and chamber works.
3. Milada Capkova (1898-1986), a Czech actress and wife of Karel Capek, who appeared in several films and stage productions.
4. Frantisek Capek (1914-2008), a Czech painter and graphic artist renowned for his abstract and surrealist works.
5. Jakub Capek (born 1982), a contemporary Czech novelist and screenwriter known for his critically acclaimed novel "Sladky zivot" (The Sweet Life).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Capek
Among Census respondents with the surname Capek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Capek 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 Capek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 558
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 25
- Two or more races2.3% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 5
- Black or African American0.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Capek
Capek 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
#41,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 529
-24 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 3,376 places
2020
#39,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 608
+79 bearers (+14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 2,061 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,788 | 553 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #41,164 | 529 | 0.18 | -24 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 3,376 places |
| 2020 | #39,103 | 608 | 0.20 | +79 bearers (+14.9%) | Up 2,061 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 Capek 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 | #41,164 | #39,103 | 5.0% |
| Count | 529 | 608 | 14.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.20 | 13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Capek bearers went from 529 to 608 (+14.9% change). The surname moved up 2,061 positions in the national ranking, going from #41,164 to #39,103.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Capek
FAQ
Capek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Capek?
Name Census estimates that about 697 living Americans carry the surname Capek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 491,757 residents.
How common is Capek?
Capek ranks #39,103 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 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 608 people with the surname Capek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (697), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 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 Capek.
Has Capek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Capek went from 529 recorded bearers to 608. That is an increase of 79 (+14.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #41,164 to #39,103.
What does the Census say about the background of Capek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Capek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Capek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (558 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Capek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Capek (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 Capek mean?
A Czech surname that refers to the occupation of a hatter or furrier. 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 Capek (0.20 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 Capek?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.