2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Holechek
A surname derived from a Czech topographic name referring to a small forest clearing or glade.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Holechek. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holechek 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Holechek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holechek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holechek
The surname Holechek has its origins in the Czech Republic, tracing back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Czech word "holec," meaning "lad" or "young man." The suffix "-ek" is a diminutive, suggesting a connection to a particular young man or implying a smaller version of something.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a 1587 census record from the village of Holešov, located in the Moravian region of what is now the Czech Republic. The entry lists a "Jakub Holeček," indicating that the name was already in use by that time.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Jan Holechek (1615-1679) was a prominent Catholic priest and theologian in Prague. He authored several influential works on religious doctrine and played a pivotal role in the Counter-Reformation movement in Bohemia.
During the 18th century, the name Holechek appeared in various records from the towns of Holesov and Holesovice, both located in present-day Czech Republic. These records suggest that the name may have originated from these place names or derived from their earlier spellings.
One prominent individual from this era was Karel Holechek (1737-1804), a respected Czech architect who designed several notable buildings in Prague, including the Church of St. Nicholas and the Kinsky Palace.
In the 19th century, a man named Josef Holechek (1819-1892) gained recognition as a pioneering Czech photographer. He was one of the first to capture images of the Czech countryside and rural life, contributing significantly to the development of photography in the region.
Another notable figure was Frantisek Holechek (1856-1919), a Czech writer and journalist who played a crucial role in promoting the Czech language and literature during the late 19th century. His works, including novels and short stories, were widely acclaimed for their vivid depictions of rural life and the struggles of the Czech people.
As the Holechek surname spread beyond the Czech Republic, it found its way into various European countries and eventually to other parts of the world through immigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the Czech lands and the rich cultural heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holechek
Among Census respondents with the surname Holechek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Holechek 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 Holechek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holechek
Holechek 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,179 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-13 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,482 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 7,179 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 11,482 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 Holechek 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 | #142,108 | #153,590 | -8.1% |
| Count | 117 | 104 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holechek bearers went from 117 to 104 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 11,482 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #153,590.
FAQ
Holechek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holechek?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Holechek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Holechek?
Holechek ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Holechek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Holechek.
Has Holechek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holechek went from 117 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Holechek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holechek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Holechek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holechek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (2.9%), Black (1.9%). 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 Holechek (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 Holechek mean?
A surname derived from a Czech topographic name referring to a small forest clearing or glade. 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 Holechek (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 have the last name Holechek?
Want to know how common the surname Holechek is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.