2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Citak
A surname of Turkish origin meaning "little garden".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Citak. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Citak 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Citak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Citak, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Citak
The surname CITAK is believed to have originated in Turkey, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Turkish word "çıtık," which means "protrusion" or "outgrowth," possibly referring to a physical characteristic or geographic feature associated with the family's place of origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CITAK surname can be found in Ottoman archives from the late 16th century, where it appears in tax records and land registries from various regions of Anatolia. The name may have been initially associated with a specific village or town, but over time, it spread to other parts of the Ottoman Empire and beyond.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the CITAK name was well-represented among Ottoman military and administrative ranks, suggesting that members of the family held positions of prominence within the empire's bureaucracy. Notable figures from this era include Hasan CITAK (1620-1691), a high-ranking Ottoman general who played a significant role in various military campaigns.
As the Ottoman Empire declined in the 19th century, many CITAK families migrated to other parts of the world, seeking new opportunities or fleeing political instability. Some settled in neighboring regions, such as the Balkans and the Middle East, while others ventured further afield to Europe, North America, and Australia.
One of the most prominent individuals with the CITAK surname was Mehmet CITAK (1884-1958), a Turkish educator and reformer who played a crucial role in the modernization of the country's education system under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. His efforts helped shape the secular, Western-oriented policies that characterize modern Turkey.
Another notable figure was Nuriye CITAK (1913-2001), a renowned Turkish novelist and short story writer who explored themes of gender, identity, and social change in her works. Her literary contributions were widely recognized, and she received numerous awards and honors throughout her career.
In the 20th century, the CITAK name continued to spread globally, with individuals bearing the surname making significant contributions in various fields, including academia, business, and the arts. For instance, Ali CITAK (1938-2015) was a prominent Turkish architect known for his innovative designs and advocacy for sustainable urban planning.
While the CITAK surname may have originated from humble beginnings, its rich history and the accomplishments of its bearers have left an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual landscapes of Turkey and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Citak
Among Census respondents with the surname Citak, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Citak 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 Citak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Citak
Citak 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+11 bearers (+10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,759 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.5%) | Up 1,759 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 1,121 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 Citak 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 | #143,149 | #144,270 | -0.8% |
| Count | 116 | 117 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Citak bearers went from 116 to 117 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #144,270.
FAQ
Citak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Citak?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Citak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Citak?
Citak ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Citak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Citak.
Has Citak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Citak went from 116 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Citak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Citak, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Citak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Citak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Citak (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 Citak mean?
A surname of Turkish origin meaning "little garden". 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 Citak (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 people have the surname Citak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.