2000
#99,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Kotlarek
A surname alluding to a person who worked with kettles or as a kettle maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 164 Americans carry the last name Kotlarek. That puts it at #125,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,089,965 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kotlarek 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
164
1 in 2,089,965
Census rank
#125,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
143
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 143 bearers of the surname Kotlarek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 125732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotlarek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kotlarek
The surname Kotlarek has its origins in Poland, emerging as early as the 12th century. It is derived from the Polish word "kotlar," which translates to "coppersmith" or "boilermaker," referring to a skilled metalworker who crafted copper vessels and utensils. The name likely originated in regions where metalworking and coppersmithing were prevalent trades.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kotlarek can be found in the Liber Beneficiorum, a historical record of benefices and endowments in the Archdiocese of Gniezno, Poland, dating back to the late 14th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Kotlarek, suggesting the name's longstanding presence in the region.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Kotlarek surname appeared in various historical records and documents throughout Polish territories. Notable individuals bearing this name include Jan Kotlarek (1540-1612), a renowned coppersmith and artisan from Krakow, whose intricate works were highly sought after by nobility and the wealthy.
In the 18th century, the Kotlarek surname gained prominence with the birth of Marcin Kotlarek (1725-1798), a respected philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Krakow. His writings and lectures on ethics and moral philosophy significantly influenced the intellectual discourse of the time.
The 19th century saw the emergence of another notable figure, Józef Kotlarek (1815-1892), a prominent Polish painter renowned for his landscapes and portraits. His works were exhibited in major art galleries across Europe and are now housed in various museums, including the National Museum in Warsaw.
As the Kotlarek surname spread beyond Poland, it encountered variations in spelling and pronunciation. In Russia, for instance, the name was sometimes rendered as "Kotlarev," while in Ukraine, it appeared as "Kotliarevskyi," reflecting the influence of local languages and dialects.
Throughout history, the Kotlarek surname has been associated with skilled metalworkers, artisans, intellectuals, and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who carried this name. While its origins can be traced back to the coppersmithing trade in Poland, the name has transcended its occupational roots to become a distinct surname with a rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kotlarek
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotlarek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kotlarek 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 Kotlarek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 133
- Two or more races3.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kotlarek
Kotlarek 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
#103,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 173
+4 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 4,441 places
2020
#125,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
-30 bearers (-17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 22,077 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,214 | 169 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #103,655 | 173 | 0.06 | +4 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 4,441 places |
| 2020 | #125,732 | 143 | 0.05 | -30 bearers (-17.3%) | Down 22,077 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 Kotlarek 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 | #103,655 | #125,732 | -21.3% |
| Count | 173 | 143 | -17.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -20.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kotlarek bearers went from 173 to 143 (-17.3% change). The surname moved down 22,077 positions in the national ranking, going from #103,655 to #125,732.
FAQ
Kotlarek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kotlarek?
Name Census estimates that about 164 living Americans carry the surname Kotlarek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,089,965 residents.
How common is Kotlarek?
Kotlarek ranks #125,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 143 people with the surname Kotlarek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (164), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Kotlarek.
Has Kotlarek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kotlarek went from 173 recorded bearers to 143. That is a decrease of 30 (-17.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #103,655 to #125,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Kotlarek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotlarek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) 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 Kotlarek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (133 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kotlarek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%), 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 Kotlarek (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 Kotlarek mean?
A surname alluding to a person who worked with kettles or as a kettle maker. 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 Kotlarek (0.05 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 last name Kotlarek?
Find out how many people have the surname Kotlarek on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.