2000
#53,556
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 362
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Kotalik
A surname indicating someone who used a kettle or made kettles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 428 Americans carry the last name Kotalik. That puts it at #58,695 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 800,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kotalik 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
428
1 in 800,828
Census rank
#58,695
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
373
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 373 bearers of the surname Kotalik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 58695th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotalik, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kotalik
The surname Kotalik originated in the Czech Republic during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Czech word "kotal," which means a small wooden hoop or wheel. The name likely referred to an occupation or trade, possibly a maker or seller of wooden hoops or wheels.
The earliest recorded instances of the Kotalik surname date back to the 14th century in Czech villages and towns. The name appeared in various spellings such as Kotalyk, Kotalic, and Kotalyk, reflecting the regional linguistic variations at the time.
One of the earliest known references to the Kotalik name can be found in the Liber Vetustissimus Antiquae Civitatis Pragensis, a historical record of Prague citizens from the 14th century. The name Kotalyk is listed among the inhabitants of the city during that period.
In the 15th century, a notable bearer of the Kotalik surname was Jan Kotalik (c. 1420-1490), a prominent Czech scholar and theologian. He served as a professor at the University of Prague and authored several works on philosophy and theology.
During the 16th century, the Kotalik family became associated with the town of Kotaliky, located in the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. The town's name likely derived from the surname, suggesting that the Kotalik family may have been among its founding settlers or prominent residents.
Another notable figure with the Kotalik surname was Vaclav Kotalik (1679-1741), a Czech painter and engraver known for his religious artwork and illustrations. His works adorned many churches and monasteries in Bohemia and Moravia during the Baroque period.
In the 19th century, a prominent Kotalik was Frantisek Kotalik (1822-1897), a Czech architect and civil engineer. He designed several notable buildings in Prague, including the Czech National Theater and the Rudolfinum concert hall.
As the Kotalik surname spread beyond the Czech lands, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas through immigration. However, the name's roots can be traced back to its Czech origins and the historical references in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kotalik
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotalik, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kotalik 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 Kotalik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 330
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 24
- Two or more races4.0% · 15
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kotalik
Kotalik 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
#55,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 373
+11 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 1,565 places
2020
#58,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 373
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 3,574 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #53,556 | 362 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,121 | 373 | 0.13 | +11 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 1,565 places |
| 2020 | #58,695 | 373 | 0.12 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,574 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 Kotalik 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 | #55,121 | #58,695 | -6.5% |
| Count | 373 | 373 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.12 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kotalik bearers went from 373 to 373 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 3,574 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,121 to #58,695.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kotalik
FAQ
Kotalik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kotalik?
Name Census estimates that about 428 living Americans carry the surname Kotalik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 800,828 residents.
How common is Kotalik?
Kotalik ranks #58,695 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 373 people with the surname Kotalik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (428), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Kotalik.
Has Kotalik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kotalik went from 373 recorded bearers to 373. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #55,121 to #58,695.
What does the Census say about the background of Kotalik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotalik, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Kotalik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (330 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kotalik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Kotalik (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 Kotalik mean?
A surname indicating someone who used a kettle or made kettles. 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 Kotalik (0.12 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 Kotalik?
You can see how many people are called Kotalik on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.