2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gelok
A Slavic surname indicating origins in the Geľo locality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Gelok. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gelok 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Gelok in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gelok, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gelok
The surname GELOK has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, tracing back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Slavic word "gelok," which referred to a type of headwear worn by peasants and commoners in the region.
In the early medieval period, surnames were not commonly used, and people were often identified by their occupation, physical attributes, or place of origin. The surname GELOK likely emerged as a descriptor for someone who made or wore this particular type of headwear.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GELOK can be found in a land registry from the Principality of Halych-Volhynia, dated around 1150 CE. The document mentions a landowner named Petro GELOK, suggesting that the name had already gained recognition as a hereditary surname by that time.
As the use of surnames became more widespread in the 13th and 14th centuries, the name GELOK appeared in various historical records across the Slavic regions. In 1278, a merchant named Ivan GELOK was mentioned in a trade agreement between the city-states of Novgorod and Riga.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the surname GELOK was Yuriy GELOK (1470-1535), a prominent scholar and theologian from the Kingdom of Poland. His writings on religious philosophy and ethics were widely studied in academic circles of the time.
Another notable individual with this surname was Andriy GELOK (1612-1678), a Ukrainian Cossack leader who played a significant role in the Khmelnytsky Uprising against Polish rule. He was recognized for his strategic military prowess and leadership during the conflicts of the mid-17th century.
In the 18th century, a renowned artist from the Russian Empire, Mikhail GELOK (1745-1817), gained recognition for his intricate woodcarvings and sculptures. His works were commissioned by nobility and adorned many churches and palaces of the time.
Towards the end of the 19th century, a Polish mathematician named Wladyslaw GELOK (1855-1924) made significant contributions to the field of algebraic geometry and number theory. His research papers and lectures influenced the development of modern mathematical concepts.
Throughout its history, the surname GELOK has been associated with various professions, from artisans and merchants to scholars and military leaders, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who carried this name across the Slavic regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gelok
Among Census respondents with the surname Gelok, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gelok 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 Gelok surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.1% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino13.3% · 15
- Two or more races6.2% · 7
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gelok
Gelok 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,840 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,840 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,407 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 Gelok 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 | #152,628 | #147,221 | 3.5% |
| Count | 107 | 113 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gelok bearers went from 107 to 113 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,221.
FAQ
Gelok surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gelok?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Gelok. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Gelok?
Gelok ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Gelok. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Gelok.
Has Gelok become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gelok went from 107 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Gelok?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gelok, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.3%) and Two or More Races (6.2%). 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 Gelok in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.1% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gelok appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.1%), Hispanic (13.3%), Two or More Races (6.2%). 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 Gelok (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 Gelok mean?
A Slavic surname indicating origins in the Geľo locality. 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 Gelok (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 Gelok?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.