2000
#10,369
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,847
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Jelinek
A Czech occupational surname referring to a miller or someone who operates or works in a mill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,338 Americans carry the last name Jelinek. That puts it at #10,516 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,683 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jelinek 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
3.3K
1 in 102,683
Census rank
#10,516
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,911 bearers of the surname Jelinek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10516th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jelinek, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jelinek
The surname Jelinek is of Czech origin, with its roots traced back to the late Middle Ages in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, now part of the modern-day Czech Republic. The name is derived from the Czech word "jelen," meaning "deer" or "stag," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been hunters or foresters associated with these animals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Jelinek name can be found in the historical records of the town of Jičín, located in the Hradec Králové Region of Bohemia, dating back to the 15th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Jelenk, Jelyenk, and Jelynek, reflecting the variations in local dialects and scribal practices of that time.
In the 16th century, the surname Jelinek gained prominence with the rise of Jan Jelinek (1522-1599), a renowned Czech humanist scholar, writer, and translator. His works, which included translations of ancient Greek and Roman texts, played a significant role in the development of the Czech Renaissance literary tradition.
Another notable figure with the Jelinek surname was Karel Jelinek (1822-1876), a Czech industrialist and entrepreneur who founded one of the first modern textile factories in Bohemia. His innovative approach to manufacturing and business management contributed to the economic growth of the region during the Industrial Revolution.
Moving into the 20th century, the name Jelinek is associated with the renowned Czech writer and playwright, Elfriede Jelinek (born 1946), who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2004. Her works, which often explore themes of feminism, social critique, and the human condition, have garnered international acclaim and recognition.
In the field of music, the Czech composer and conductor, Václav Jelinek (1930-2004), left a lasting impact on the classical music scene. He served as the chief conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra and was renowned for his interpretations of Czech and Romantic repertoires.
While these are just a few examples, the Jelinek surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of the Czech lands and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jelinek
Among Census respondents with the surname Jelinek, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Jelinek 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 Jelinek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 2,697
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 103
- Two or more races2.3% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 25
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jelinek
Jelinek 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
#10,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,924
+77 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 525 places
2020
#10,516
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,911
-13 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 378 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,369 | 2,847 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,894 | 2,924 | 0.99 | +77 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 525 places |
| 2020 | #10,516 | 2,911 | 0.97 | -13 bearers (-0.4%) | Up 378 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 Jelinek 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 | #10,894 | #10,516 | 3.5% |
| Count | 2,924 | 2,911 | -0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.97 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jelinek bearers went from 2,924 to 2,911 (-0.4% change). The surname moved up 378 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,894 to #10,516.
FAQ
Jelinek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jelinek?
Name Census estimates that about 3,338 living Americans carry the surname Jelinek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,683 residents.
How common is Jelinek?
Jelinek ranks #10,516 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,911 people with the surname Jelinek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,338), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Jelinek.
Has Jelinek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jelinek went from 2,924 recorded bearers to 2,911. That is a decrease of 13 (-0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,894 to #10,516.
What does the Census say about the background of Jelinek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jelinek, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Jelinek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (2,697 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jelinek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Jelinek (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 Jelinek mean?
A Czech occupational surname referring to a miller or someone who operates or works in a mill. 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 Jelinek (0.97 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 Jelinek?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.