2000
#49,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 394
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Hudek
A surname likely derived from a Czech word meaning "little musician" or "fiddler".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 446 Americans carry the last name Hudek. That puts it at #56,668 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 768,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hudek 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
446
1 in 768,507
Census rank
#56,668
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
389
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 389 bearers of the surname Hudek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 56668th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hudek, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hudek
The surname Hudek is of Czech origin and dates back to the late 15th century. It originated from the Czech word "hudec," which referred to a musician or a fiddler. The name was initially used as an occupational surname for those involved in the profession of music and entertainment.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Hudek can be traced back to a historical document from the year 1487 in the town of Brno, located in the present-day Czech Republic. The document mentions a certain "Václav Hudek," believed to be a musician or a fiddler at the time.
In the 16th century, the name Hudek began to spread across various regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which were part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. It appeared in various village and town records, often indicating the occupation of the bearer as a musician or a fiddler.
One notable mention of the name Hudek can be found in the 17th century records of the town of Litomyšl, where a certain "Jan Hudek" was listed as a renowned fiddler who performed at various events and celebrations.
During the 18th century, the name Hudek gained prominence in the region of Silesia, which was formerly part of the Kingdom of Bohemia but later became part of Prussia and Austria. A famous bearer of the name was Jakub Hudek (1718-1792), a renowned violinist and composer from the town of Opava.
In the 19th century, the name Hudek began to spread beyond the boundaries of the Czech lands, as individuals with this surname migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable bearer was Josef Hudek (1842-1909), a Czech-American musician and composer who settled in the United States and contributed significantly to the development of Czech music in the country.
Another prominent figure with the surname Hudek was Karel Hudek (1880-1954), a Czech painter and illustrator known for his works depicting scenes from Czech folklore and rural life.
Over the centuries, various spellings and variations of the name Hudek have emerged, such as Hudecek, Hudak, and Hudacek, reflecting regional linguistic differences and adaptations. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Czech word "hudec," signifying its historical association with the profession of music and entertainment.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hudek
Among Census respondents with the surname Hudek, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hudek 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 Hudek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 347
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 23
- Two or more races3.3% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hudek
Hudek 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
#53,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 390
-4 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 3,107 places
2020
#56,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 389
-1 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 3,596 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,965 | 394 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,072 | 390 | 0.13 | -4 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 3,107 places |
| 2020 | #56,668 | 389 | 0.13 | -1 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 3,596 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 Hudek 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 | #53,072 | #56,668 | -6.8% |
| Count | 390 | 389 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hudek bearers went from 390 to 389 (-0.3% change). The surname moved down 3,596 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,072 to #56,668.
FAQ
Hudek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hudek?
Name Census estimates that about 446 living Americans carry the surname Hudek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 768,507 residents.
How common is Hudek?
Hudek ranks #56,668 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 389 people with the surname Hudek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (446), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Hudek.
Has Hudek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hudek went from 390 recorded bearers to 389. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #53,072 to #56,668.
What does the Census say about the background of Hudek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hudek, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Hudek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (347 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hudek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Hudek (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 Hudek mean?
A surname likely derived from a Czech word meaning "little musician" or "fiddler". 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 Hudek (0.13 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 Hudek?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Hudek is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.