2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Jenicek
A Czech surname derived from the diminutive form of the given name Jan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Jenicek. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jenicek 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Jenicek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenicek, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jenicek
The surname Jenicek is of Czech origin, tracing its roots back to the late medieval period in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which were then part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. The name is derived from the Czech diminutive form of the personal name Jan, which itself is a variant of the name John.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Jenicek surname can be found in the Liber Viridis, a 14th-century land registry from the town of Chrudim, where a certain Jenicek z Lipky (Jenicek of Lipka) is mentioned as a landowner. The name also appears in various other historical records from the region, such as municipal chronicles and tax registers.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Jakub Jenicek, a Protestant reformer and educator who played a significant role in the development of the Czech Brethren movement. He was born in 1510 in Litomysl and was active in the religious and educational spheres until his death in 1578.
During the 17th century, the Jenicek surname was particularly concentrated in the area around the town of Policka, where several prominent families bearing the name were recorded. One such family was that of Vaclav Jenicek (1642-1708), a local nobleman and landowner who was involved in the administration of the region.
In the 19th century, a famous bearer of the Jenicek surname was Karel Jenicek (1818-1888), a Czech composer and conductor who was a leading figure in the Czech National Revival movement. His works, including operas and orchestral pieces, helped to establish a distinct Czech musical tradition.
Another notable individual with the Jenicek surname was Jaroslav Jenicek (1892-1968), a renowned Czech architect who was influential in the development of modern architecture in his country. Some of his most notable works include the Faculty of Law building at Charles University in Prague and the former Czechoslovak Embassy in Moscow.
While the Jenicek surname is most commonly associated with the Czech regions, it has also been found in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in areas with historical Czech settlement or influence. However, the majority of bearers of this surname can trace their roots back to the Czech lands and the rich cultural heritage of Bohemia and Moravia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jenicek
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenicek, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Jenicek 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 Jenicek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jenicek
Jenicek 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+14 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,604 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-19 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,253 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +14 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 2,604 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 18,253 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 Jenicek 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 | #123,796 | #142,049 | -14.7% |
| Count | 139 | 120 | -13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jenicek bearers went from 139 to 120 (-13.7% change). The surname moved down 18,253 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #142,049.
FAQ
Jenicek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jenicek?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Jenicek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Jenicek?
Jenicek ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Jenicek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Jenicek.
Has Jenicek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jenicek went from 139 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 19 (-13.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Jenicek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jenicek, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Jenicek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jenicek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Jenicek (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 Jenicek mean?
A Czech surname derived from the diminutive form of the given name Jan. 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 Jenicek (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 common is the surname Jenicek?
Find out how common the surname Jenicek is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.