2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Michlik
A surname derived from the Slavic diminutive form of the name Michael.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Michlik. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Michlik 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Michlik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Michlik, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Michlik
The surname Michlik is of Polish origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Polish word "mich," which means "bag" or "sack." The suffix "-lik" indicates a diminutive form, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who made or carried small bags.
Records from the 14th century indicate that the Michlik name was prevalent in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Poland. It is believed that the name first emerged in villages and towns around the city of Wroclaw, where many people were involved in the textile trade and might have worked as bagmakers or carried goods in small sacks.
One of the earliest known references to the Michlik name is found in a document from the Cistercian monastery in Henryków, dated 1372. The document mentions a certain "Michlik z Wrocławia" (Michlik of Wroclaw), who was a merchant and landowner in the area.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various historical records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. For instance, in 1487, a nobleman named Jan Michlik was mentioned in a court document from the town of Nowy Sącz, where he was involved in a land dispute.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Michlik name continued to spread across Poland, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was Bartłomiej Michlik (1563-1629), a renowned sculptor and woodcarver who worked on the altars and decorations of various churches in Krakow and the surrounding region.
Another famous Michlik was Andrzej Michlik (1718-1793), a military officer who fought in the Polish-Russian War of 1792. He achieved the rank of Colonel and was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, the Michlik surname could be found in various parts of the Polish lands, which were divided among the Russian Empire, Prussia, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. One notable individual from this period was Franciszek Michlik (1832-1898), a prominent lawyer and political activist who advocated for Polish independence and participated in the January Uprising of 1863-1864 against Russian rule.
Other notable individuals with the Michlik surname include Józef Michlik (1870-1942), a Polish painter and art teacher who worked in Krakow and Lviv, and Henryk Michlik (1908-1984), a World War II veteran and member of the Polish Underground resistance movement during the Nazi occupation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Michlik
Among Census respondents with the surname Michlik, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Michlik 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 Michlik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino9.3% · 11
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Michlik
Michlik 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,497 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,742 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,497 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 3,742 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 Michlik 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 | #147,253 | #143,511 | 2.5% |
| Count | 112 | 118 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Michlik bearers went from 112 to 118 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 3,742 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #143,511.
FAQ
Michlik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Michlik?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Michlik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Michlik?
Michlik ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Michlik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Michlik.
Has Michlik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Michlik went from 112 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Michlik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Michlik, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Michlik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Michlik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (9.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Michlik (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 Michlik mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic diminutive form of the name Michael. 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 Michlik (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 Michlik?
See how many people have the last name Michlik on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.