2000
#114,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Krak
A Polish surname derived from the city of Kraków.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Krak. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krak 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Krak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krak
The surname KRAK is of Polish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Polish word "krak," which means "crow" or "raven." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive term for someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.
The earliest known record of the KRAK surname appears in the Teutonic Knights' records from the 13th century. These records were maintained by the German monastic military order that played a significant role in the Christianization and conquest of Prussia and other parts of Eastern Europe.
One notable figure bearing the KRAK surname was Jan KRAK, a Polish nobleman and military commander who lived in the 15th century. He played a crucial role in defending the city of Krakow against the Teutonic Knights during the Polish-Teutonic War of 1409-1411.
Another prominent individual with the KRAK surname was Mikołaj KRAK, a Polish scholar and author who lived in the 16th century. He is best known for his works on Polish history and culture, which helped preserve and document the country's heritage during a tumultuous period.
In the 17th century, the KRAK surname was also found in the records of the Prussian region, which was then under the control of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One notable figure from this period was Andrzej KRAK, a Prussian landowner and local administrator who played a role in the governance of the region.
Interestingly, the KRAK surname also has variations in spelling, such as KRACK and KRAKE. These variations were often found in historical records from different regions and time periods, reflecting the evolving nature of surnames and the influence of local dialects and linguistic traditions.
Another notable individual bearing the KRAK surname was Katarzyna KRAK, a Polish noblewoman who lived in the 18th century. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support for education and cultural initiatives in her community.
It is worth noting that the KRAK surname is not exclusively Polish, as variations of the name have also been found in other Slavic countries, such as Russia and Ukraine. However, the historical evidence suggests that the name's origins can be traced back to Poland and the broader region of Eastern Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krak
Among Census respondents with the surname Krak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Krak 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 Krak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krak
Krak 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-21 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,138 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,453 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,166 | 142 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 24,138 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 7,453 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 Krak 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 | #138,304 | #145,757 | -5.4% |
| Count | 121 | 115 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krak bearers went from 121 to 115 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 7,453 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #145,757.
FAQ
Krak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krak?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Krak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Krak?
Krak ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Krak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Krak.
Has Krak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krak went from 121 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Krak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Krak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Krak (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 Krak mean?
A Polish surname derived from the city of Kraków. 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 Krak (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 many people have the last name Krak?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Krak at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.