2000
#8,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,420
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.27
Rare Last name
Klimek
A Polish occupational surname derived from the word "klim," meaning a maker or seller of pegs or wedges.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,902 Americans carry the last name Klimek. That puts it at #9,206 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,841 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klimek 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Klimek with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,841
Census rank
#9,206
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,403 bearers of the surname Klimek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9206th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klimek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klimek
The surname Klimek is of Polish origin, emerging in the late medieval period around the 14th or 15th century. It is derived from the Slavic personal name Klement, itself a variation of the Latin name Clemens, meaning "mild" or "merciful." The name was likely adopted as a diminutive form, with the suffix "-ek" added to create the surname Klimek.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Klimek can be found in the Akta Grodzkie i Ziemskie, a collection of Polish court records dating back to the 15th century. These records mention individuals with the surname Klimek residing in various regions of Poland, such as the towns of Krakow and Lublin.
In the 16th century, the Klimek surname appears in the Metryka Koronna, a series of royal registers maintained by the Polish Crown Chancellery. These registers document various legal and administrative matters, including land grants and appointments, providing insight into the lives of individuals bearing the Klimek name during this period.
Notable individuals with the surname Klimek throughout history include Jan Klimek (1815-1892), a Polish painter and engraver known for his landscapes and genre scenes. Another prominent figure was Mieczysław Klimek (1910-1996), a Polish mathematician and logician who made significant contributions to the field of mathematical logic and set theory.
The Klimek surname can also be traced to certain place names in Poland, such as the village of Klimki in the Masovian Voivodeship. This village likely derived its name from the Klimek surname, indicating the presence of families bearing this name in the area.
Other notable individuals with the Klimek surname include Józef Klimek (1878-1941), a Polish Catholic priest and theologian, as well as Aleksander Klimek (1890-1977), a Polish military officer and participant in the Warsaw Uprising during World War II. Additionally, Wacław Klimek (1899-1967) was a Polish actor and theater director who played a significant role in the development of Polish theater in the 20th century.
While the Klimek surname has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Poland, where it emerged as a diminutive form of the personal name Klement, reflecting the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klimek
Among Census respondents with the surname Klimek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Klimek 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 Klimek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 3,189
- Two or more races2.7% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 35
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klimek
Klimek 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
#9,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,492
+72 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 506 places
2020
#9,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,403
-89 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Up 122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,822 | 3,420 | 1.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,328 | 3,492 | 1.18 | +72 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 506 places |
| 2020 | #9,206 | 3,403 | 1.14 | -89 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 122 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 Klimek 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 | #9,328 | #9,206 | 1.3% |
| Count | 3,492 | 3,403 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.14 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klimek bearers went from 3,492 to 3,403 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 122 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,328 to #9,206.
FAQ
Klimek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klimek?
Name Census estimates that about 3,902 living Americans carry the surname Klimek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,841 residents.
How common is Klimek?
Klimek ranks #9,206 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 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 3,403 people with the surname Klimek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,902), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 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 Klimek.
Has Klimek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klimek went from 3,492 recorded bearers to 3,403. That is a decrease of 89 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,328 to #9,206.
What does the Census say about the background of Klimek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klimek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Klimek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (3,189 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klimek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Klimek (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 Klimek mean?
A Polish occupational surname derived from the word "klim," meaning a maker or seller of pegs or wedges. 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 Klimek (1.14 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 are called Klimek?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Klimek on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.