2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mlekush
A surname potentially derived from the Albanian word for "milk", suggesting an occupation or location related to dairy production.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Mlekush. 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 Mlekush 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 Mlekush 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 Mlekush, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mlekush
The surname MLEKUSH has its origins in the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe, particularly in the regions of modern-day Poland and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 10th and 15th centuries.
The name MLEKUSH is derived from the Slavic root word "mleko," which means "milk" or "dairy." It is likely that the name was originally given to individuals who worked in the dairy industry, such as milkmaids, cheesemakers, or those involved in the production and distribution of milk and dairy products.
While there are no known historical references to the name MLEKUSH in major manuscripts or records like the Domesday Book, it is possible that the name appeared in local parish records or land registries of the time. However, these records have either been lost or not adequately documented.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname MLEKUSH date back to the 16th century. In 1548, a man named Jan MLEKUSH was listed as a landowner in the village of Krakow, Poland. Another early record is from 1592, when a woman named Anna MLEKUSH was mentioned in a church registry in the town of Lviv, which was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname MLEKUSH. In the 18th century, Tomasz MLEKUSH (1721-1789) was a renowned painter and sculptor in the Polish city of Krakow. His works adorned several churches and public buildings in the region.
Another significant figure was Katarzyna MLEKUSH (1810-1892), a Polish writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and education. She authored several books and articles on the subject, which were influential in her time.
In the 20th century, Józef MLEKUSH (1902-1978) was a Polish politician who served as a member of the Sejm (parliament) during the communist era. He was known for his staunch support of workers' rights and his efforts to improve living conditions for the working class.
Marian MLEKUSH (1915-2001), born in Lviv (then part of Poland, now in Ukraine), was a respected engineer and academic. He made significant contributions to the field of civil engineering and taught at various universities in Poland and Germany.
Finally, Czesław MLEKUSH (1928-2018) was a renowned Polish composer and musician. He composed numerous orchestral works, chamber pieces, and film scores, and his music was performed internationally.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mlekush
Among Census respondents with the surname Mlekush, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mlekush 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 Mlekush surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 96
- Two or more races10.7% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mlekush
Mlekush 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,576 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,576 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,441 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 Mlekush 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 | #149,395 | #147,954 | 1.0% |
| Count | 110 | 112 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mlekush bearers went from 110 to 112 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,441 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #147,954.
FAQ
Mlekush surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mlekush?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Mlekush. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Mlekush?
Mlekush 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 Mlekush. 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 Mlekush.
Has Mlekush become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mlekush went from 110 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Mlekush?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mlekush, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Mlekush in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mlekush appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Two or More Races (10.7%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Mlekush (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 Mlekush mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Albanian word for "milk", suggesting an occupation or location related to dairy production. 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 Mlekush (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 Mlekush?
Want to know how many people have the surname Mlekush? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.