2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Murcek
A surname of Polish origin derived from the German word "murmeln" meaning "to mumble".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Murcek. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Murcek 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Murcek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Murcek, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Murcek
The surname Murcek is of Slovenian origin and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the village of Murce, located in the Styria region of modern-day Slovenia. The name is thought to be derived from the Slovene word "Murc," which means "a person from Murce."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Murcek can be found in a parish register from the town of Maribor, dated 1587. This entry mentions a certain Jurij Murcek, who was a local farmer and landowner. The same register also lists several other individuals with variations of the surname, such as Murcz and Murczig.
In the 17th century, the Murcek family appears to have gained some prominence in the region. A notable figure from this time was Janez Murcek (1628-1692), who was a respected scholar and theologian. He authored several works on religious philosophy and served as a professor at the University of Ljubljana.
The 18th century saw the Murcek name spread beyond the borders of Slovenia. In 1745, a man named Andrej Murcek (1702-1778) is recorded as having settled in the town of Graz, Austria, where he established a successful wine merchant business. His descendants continued this trade for several generations, contributing to the local economy and cultural life.
Another noteworthy individual with the Murcek surname was Marija Murcek (1789-1862), a renowned poet and writer from the village of Sv. Andraž v Slovenskih goricah. Her collection of poems, published in 1835, is considered one of the earliest examples of Slovenian romantic literature.
In the 19th century, the Murcek name began to appear in various records across Europe, as members of the family migrated to other regions. For instance, a certain Franc Murcek (1821-1898) was a respected architect in Vienna, Austria, and was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city.
As the 20th century approached, the Murcek surname continued to be represented in various fields. One notable figure was Anton Murcek (1876-1944), a Slovenian politician and activist who played a significant role in the struggle for Slovenian independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Murcek
Among Census respondents with the surname Murcek, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Murcek 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 Murcek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 117
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Murcek
Murcek 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+2 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,507 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-10 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,409 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 6,507 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 11,409 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 Murcek 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 | #131,379 | #142,788 | -8.7% |
| Count | 129 | 119 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Murcek bearers went from 129 to 119 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 11,409 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #142,788.
FAQ
Murcek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Murcek?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Murcek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Murcek?
Murcek ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Murcek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Murcek.
Has Murcek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Murcek went from 129 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Murcek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Murcek, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Murcek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Murcek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Murcek (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 Murcek mean?
A surname of Polish origin derived from the German word "murmeln" meaning "to mumble". 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 Murcek (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 are called Murcek?
See how many people have the last name Murcek on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.