2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Matichak
An occupational surname likely of Hungarian origin denoting one who does chores or works as a servant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Matichak. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matichak 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Matichak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matichak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matichak
The surname Matichak is of Slovenian origin, with its roots dating back to the 15th century in the region of Styria, which is now part of eastern Austria and northern Slovenia. The name is believed to be derived from the Slovenian word "matičar," which means a beekeeper or a person who tends to beehives.
In the early historical records, the name was often spelled as "Matičak" or "Matitscheck," reflecting the variations in its pronunciation and spelling across different regions. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a parish register from the town of Maribor, in present-day Slovenia, dating back to 1498.
The Matichak surname is thought to have originated as a descriptive name, identifying individuals who were involved in beekeeping activities. This occupation was particularly important in the region during the medieval period, as honey and beeswax were valuable commodities used for food, candles, and other purposes.
One notable early bearer of the name was Peter Matichak, a beekeeper from the village of Arnož, who was mentioned in a land registry document from 1612. Another early record comes from the town of Celje, where a man named Jakob Matichak was listed as a taxpayer in 1648.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Matichak surname gradually spread across Central Europe, with individuals bearing this name appearing in various records from Austria, Hungary, and parts of modern-day Croatia and Serbia. Some of the notable figures with this surname include:
1. Ivan Matichak (1732-1801), a renowned beekeeper and author from the town of Ptuj, Slovenia, who wrote extensively on beekeeping techniques and published several influential books on the subject.
2. Maria Matichak (1789-1856), a philanthropist from Graz, Austria, who funded the construction of a local orphanage and supported various charitable causes in her community.
3. Josip Matichak (1827-1904), a Slovenian politician and lawyer who served as the mayor of Maribor in the late 19th century and played a significant role in the cultural and political development of the region.
4. Anita Matichak (1861-1942), a renowned opera singer from Zagreb, Croatia, who performed in numerous productions across Europe and was celebrated for her powerful soprano voice.
5. Franz Matichak (1893-1964), an Austrian artist and painter known for his landscapes and rural scenes depicting life in the Styrian countryside.
While the Matichak surname has its origins in the Slovenian and Austrian regions, it has since spread to various parts of the world through immigration and migration patterns. However, the historical roots and associations of this name remain firmly connected to the beekeeping traditions and cultural heritage of Central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matichak
Among Census respondents with the surname Matichak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Matichak 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 Matichak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matichak
Matichak 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,524 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 13,524 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 6,793 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 Matichak 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 | #158,432 | #151,639 | 4.3% |
| Count | 102 | 107 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matichak bearers went from 102 to 107 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 6,793 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #151,639.
FAQ
Matichak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matichak?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Matichak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Matichak?
Matichak ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Matichak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Matichak.
Has Matichak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matichak went from 102 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 5 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Matichak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matichak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Matichak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matichak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Matichak (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 Matichak mean?
An occupational surname likely of Hungarian origin denoting one who does chores or works as a servant. 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 Matichak (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 Americans have the surname Matichak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.