2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Debiak
A Polish or Ukrainian surname likely derived from a place name or topographic feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Debiak. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Debiak 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Debiak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Debiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Debiak
The surname DEBIAK is believed to have originated in the region of Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland and surrounding areas, during the Middle Ages. The name likely derives from the Polish word "debia," which means "oak," or is related to the Lithuanian word "debykai," meaning "oak grove."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DEBIAK can be found in a Polish census record from the late 16th century, where a family with the surname Debyak was registered in the town of Krakow. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an individual or family living near an oak tree or oak forest.
In the 17th century, a variant spelling, "Debiak," appeared in church records from the village of Debno, located in what is now southeastern Poland. This may indicate that the name was associated with a particular location or settlement at that time.
During the 18th century, a notable figure named Jan DEBIAK (1720-1789) was a renowned woodcarver and craftsman in the city of Gdansk (formerly known as Danzig). His intricate carvings adorned several churches and buildings in the region, and his work was highly regarded by his contemporaries.
In the 19th century, the name DEBIAK was found in various Polish and Lithuanian records, suggesting that the name had spread across different regions of Eastern Europe. One notable individual was Marianna DEBIAK (1842-1912), a Polish writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and essays during her lifetime.
Another prominent figure was Józef DEBIAK (1878-1954), a Polish engineer and inventor who designed and patented several innovative mechanical devices, including a new type of steam engine and a textile-weaving machine.
In the early 20th century, a Polish-American artist named Stanislaw DEBIAK (1905-1989) gained recognition for his landscapes and portraiture. He emigrated to the United States in the 1920s and spent most of his career in Chicago, where he was part of the city's vibrant art community.
Throughout its history, the surname DEBIAK has been associated with individuals from various professions and backgrounds, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who have carried this name across different regions and generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Debiak
Among Census respondents with the surname Debiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Debiak 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 Debiak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 100
Timeline
Historical Census data for Debiak
Debiak appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,552 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 1,552 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 Debiak 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 | #157,234 | #155,682 | 1.0% |
| Count | 103 | 100 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Debiak bearers went from 103 to 100 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 1,552 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,682.
FAQ
Debiak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Debiak?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Debiak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Debiak?
Debiak ranks #155,682 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 100 people with the surname Debiak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), 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 Debiak.
Has Debiak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Debiak went from 103 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Debiak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Debiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Debiak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Debiak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Debiak (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 Debiak mean?
A Polish or Ukrainian surname likely derived from a place name or topographic feature. 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 Debiak (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 people share the surname Debiak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.