2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Murack
An occupational surname likely derived from the German word for a moat digger or ditch maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Murack. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Murack 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Murack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Murack, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Murack
The surname Murack is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "mur," which means "wall" or "rampart." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near or been associated with a fortified structure, such as a castle or city walls.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Murack can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Saxony. In this compilation, dated around 1200, there is a reference to a certain "Henricus Murack" who was a landowner in the region.
During the Middle Ages, the Murack name appeared in various historical records across different regions of Germany. For instance, in the 14th century, a man named Johann Murack was mentioned in a registry of citizens in the city of Nuremberg.
As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Murackh, Murache, and Muracke. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.
One notable figure bearing the Murack surname was Hans Murack, a German merchant and trader who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his extensive trade networks throughout Central and Eastern Europe, and his name can be found in several business ledgers and correspondence from that era.
Another individual of historical significance was Katharina Murack, a 17th-century midwife and herbalist from the town of Erfurt. Her expertise in traditional medicine and her contributions to the local community were well-documented in the town's archives.
In the 18th century, a man named Friedrich Murack gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in the city of Dresden. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy citizens of the time.
As the Murack surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration. One notable example is Johann Murack, a German settler who arrived in Pennsylvania, United States, in the early 19th century and became a prominent farmer in the region.
Throughout its history, the Murack surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, merchants, farmers, and professionals. While the name may have evolved slightly over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Germany, where it was associated with fortifications and defensive structures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Murack
Among Census respondents with the surname Murack, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Murack 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 Murack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 102
Timeline
Historical Census data for Murack
Murack appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-17 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,598 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -17 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 14,598 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 Murack 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 | #140,157 | #154,755 | -10.4% |
| Count | 119 | 102 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Murack bearers went from 119 to 102 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 14,598 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #154,755.
FAQ
Murack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Murack?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Murack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Murack?
Murack ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Murack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Murack.
Has Murack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Murack went from 119 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 17 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Murack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Murack, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Murack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Murack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Murack (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 Murack mean?
An occupational surname likely derived from the German word for a moat digger or ditch maker. 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 Murack (0.03 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 are called Murack?
You can see how common the surname Murack is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.