2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cekala
A Polish surname derived from a nickname referring to one's persistence or tenacity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Cekala. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cekala 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Cekala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cekala, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cekala
The surname Cekala is of Polish origin, originating in the region of Silesia, an area that is now located in southwestern Poland. The name is believed to have derived from the Polish word "ciekal," which means "a small stream" or "brook." This suggests that the name may have been originally given to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Cekala can be found in historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, when the name was often spelled as "Ciekala" or "Czykala." These variations in spelling were common in the past due to regional dialects and differences in record-keeping practices.
One notable historical reference to the name Cekala is found in the records of the Silesian town of Byczyna, where a family by the name of Cekala is mentioned in a document dated 1612. This document records a land transaction involving members of the Cekala family.
In the 18th century, the name Cekala appears in the records of the town of Opole, also in Silesia. A document from 1742 mentions a man named Jan Cekala, who was a landowner and farmer in the region.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Cekala was Jakub Cekala, born in 1776 in the village of Lipowiec, near the town of Opole. Jakub was a blacksmith by trade and is recorded as having lived in Lipowiec until his death in 1842.
Another notable figure with the surname Cekala was Andrzej Cekala, born in 1824 in the town of Strzelce Opolskie, Silesia. Andrzej was a teacher and educator who played a significant role in promoting education in the region during the mid-19th century.
In the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Cekala was Franciszek Cekala, born in 1901 in the town of Nysa, Silesia. Franciszek was a renowned poet and writer who published several collections of poetry and prose works during his lifetime. He is considered an important figure in the literary history of Silesia.
Another individual worth mentioning is Maria Cekala, born in 1922 in the village of Krapkowice, Silesia. Maria was a renowned folk artist and craftswoman, known for her intricate embroidery and traditional Silesian costumes. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and museums throughout Poland.
Overall, the surname Cekala has a rich history rooted in the region of Silesia, Poland, and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, farmers, educators, writers, and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cekala
Among Census respondents with the surname Cekala, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cekala 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 Cekala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 101
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cekala
Cekala 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-14 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,504 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 22,504 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 3,730 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 Cekala 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 | #150,452 | #154,182 | -2.5% |
| Count | 109 | 103 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cekala bearers went from 109 to 103 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 3,730 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #154,182.
FAQ
Cekala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cekala?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Cekala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Cekala?
Cekala ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Cekala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Cekala.
Has Cekala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cekala went from 109 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Cekala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cekala, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Cekala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cekala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Black (1.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Cekala (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 Cekala mean?
A Polish surname derived from a nickname referring to one's persistence or tenacity. 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 Cekala (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 common is the surname Cekala?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Cekala is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.