2000
#93,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 182
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Kulyk
A surname derived from the Slavic word meaning "calf" or "little leg".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 325 Americans carry the last name Kulyk. That puts it at #73,776 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,054,629 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kulyk 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
325
1 in 1,054,629
Census rank
#73,776
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
283
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 283 bearers of the surname Kulyk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73776th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulyk, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%) and Black (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kulyk
The surname KULYK originated in Ukraine, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Ukrainian word "kulyk," which means "curlew," a type of wading bird. This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who resembled or had characteristics associated with the curlew bird.
The KULYK surname can be traced back to various regions of Ukraine, particularly in the western and central parts of the country. Some of the earliest records of the name can be found in historical documents, such as parish registers and census records from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One notable historical reference involving the KULYK surname is its appearance in the Cossack Registers of the Zaporizhian Host, a military and self-governing community of Cossacks in Ukraine during the 16th to 18th centuries. Several individuals with the KULYK surname were listed as members of this influential Cossack group.
The earliest recorded bearer of the KULYK surname is believed to be Ivan KULYK, born around 1550 in the village of Zolochiv, located in the Lviv region of western Ukraine. Another early documented individual with this surname was Hryhoriy KULYK, born in the late 16th century in the town of Khmilnyk, located in the Vinnytsia region of central Ukraine.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who carried the KULYK surname. One of the most prominent was Mykhailo KULYK (1847-1903), a Ukrainian writer, journalist, and cultural activist who played a significant role in promoting Ukrainian literature and language during the late 19th century.
Another individual of note was Yevhen KULYK (1896-1958), a Ukrainian painter and graphic artist known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life in Ukraine. His works are part of the collections of several museums in Ukraine and Russia.
In the field of music, Mykola KULYK (1929-1994) was a renowned Ukrainian composer and conductor who made significant contributions to Ukrainian choral music. His compositions were widely performed by choirs and orchestras across Ukraine and beyond.
The KULYK surname can also be found in various place names and older spellings of place names in Ukraine. For example, the village of Kulyky in the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine likely derived its name from the presence of individuals with the KULYK surname in the area.
Overall, the surname KULYK has a rich history deeply rooted in Ukraine, with its origin dating back to the 16th century and its association with the curlew bird. The name has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, including literature, art, and music, leaving a lasting impact on Ukrainian culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kulyk
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulyk, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%) and Black (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kulyk 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 Kulyk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 272
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.1% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 3
- Two or more races0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kulyk
Kulyk 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
#80,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 237
+55 bearers (+30.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 13,296 places
2020
#73,776
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 283
+46 bearers (+19.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 6,355 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #93,427 | 182 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #80,131 | 237 | 0.08 | +55 bearers (+30.2%) | Up 13,296 places |
| 2020 | #73,776 | 283 | 0.09 | +46 bearers (+19.4%) | Up 6,355 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 Kulyk 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 | #80,131 | #73,776 | 7.9% |
| Count | 237 | 283 | 19.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 18.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kulyk bearers went from 237 to 283 (+19.4% change). The surname moved up 6,355 positions in the national ranking, going from #80,131 to #73,776.
FAQ
Kulyk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kulyk?
Name Census estimates that about 325 living Americans carry the surname Kulyk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,054,629 residents.
How common is Kulyk?
Kulyk ranks #73,776 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 283 people with the surname Kulyk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (325), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Kulyk.
Has Kulyk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kulyk went from 237 recorded bearers to 283. That is an increase of 46 (+19.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #80,131 to #73,776.
What does the Census say about the background of Kulyk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulyk, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%) and Black (1.1%). 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 Kulyk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (272 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kulyk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%), Black (1.1%). 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 Kulyk (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 Kulyk mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic word meaning "calf" or "little leg". 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 Kulyk (0.09 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 surname Kulyk?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.