2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lilek
An occupational surname referring to a lathe operator or wood turner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Lilek. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lilek 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Lilek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lilek, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lilek
The surname Lilek has its origins in the Czech Republic, with the earliest known instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Slavic word "lilac," which refers to the flowering plant. This could suggest that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, possibly given to someone who lived near or cultivated lilac bushes.
In the medieval period, the name Lilek appeared in various Czech records and manuscripts, though it was often spelled differently, such as Lylak or Lylek. One early example can be found in a land registry from the town of Litomerice, dated 1287, which mentions a farmer named Jakub Lilek.
By the 16th century, the surname had spread to other regions of the Czech Kingdom, as well as parts of what is now Slovakia and Poland. One notable bearer of the name was Jan Lilek, a Czech Protestant reformer who lived from 1518 to 1599 and played a significant role in the Hussite movement.
In the 17th century, the name Lilek can be found in various parish records and tax rolls from the region. A prominent individual from this era was Vaclav Lilek, a Czech nobleman and landowner who lived from 1625 to 1691 and owned estates in the town of Strakonice.
As the centuries progressed, the Lilek surname continued to be present in various Czech and Slovak territories. In the 19th century, one noteworthy bearer of the name was Josef Lilek, a Czech writer and journalist who lived from 1836 to 1915 and was known for his works on Czech history and culture.
Another significant figure with the Lilek surname was Karel Lilek, a Czech painter and illustrator who lived from 1871 to 1942. He was renowned for his landscapes and illustrations of Czech fairy tales and legends.
Throughout its history, the Lilek surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, from farmers and artisans to nobles and intellectuals. While it may have started as a descriptive name, it has since become a well-established family name in the Czech Republic and surrounding regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lilek
Among Census respondents with the surname Lilek, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lilek 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 Lilek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lilek
Lilek 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,664 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,664 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 2,498 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 Lilek 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 | #150,452 | #147,954 | 1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 112 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lilek bearers went from 109 to 112 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 2,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #147,954.
FAQ
Lilek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lilek?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Lilek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Lilek?
Lilek ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Lilek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Lilek.
Has Lilek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lilek went from 109 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Lilek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lilek, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Lilek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lilek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Lilek (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 Lilek mean?
An occupational surname referring to a lathe operator or wood turner. 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 Lilek (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 common is the surname Lilek?
Find out how many people are called Lilek on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.