2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Musiak
Of Polish origin, meaning a person who plays music.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Musiak. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Musiak 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Musiak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Musiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Musiak
The surname "MUSIAK" is believed to have originated in Poland, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Polish word "muzyka," meaning "music." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who were musicians or had a connection to the music industry.
One of the earliest known references to the name appears in a manuscript from the city of Krakow, dated 1587, which mentions a "Jan Musiak" among a list of local tradesmen. This provides evidence that the surname was in use during the late Renaissance period in Poland.
In the 17th century, the name "Musiak" can be found in various church records and land deeds from the regions of Lesser Poland and Silesia. This indicates that the name was particularly prevalent in these areas during that time.
A notable bearer of the Musiak surname was Wojciech Musiak, a Polish composer and organist who lived from 1696 to 1765. His compositions for organ and church choir were widely performed in Polish churches during the Baroque period.
Another individual of historical significance was Katarzyna Musiak, born in 1782 in the village of Sromowce Niżne, near the city of Nowy Targ. She was a renowned folk artist and embroiderer, known for her intricate and colorful designs inspired by the local Podhale culture.
In the 19th century, the Musiak surname also appeared in records from the Galicia region, which was then part of the Austrian Empire. One example is Franciszek Musiak, a farmer and landowner from the village of Łukowica, born in 1832.
As the name spread across various regions of Poland, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Musiok," "Musijak," and "Musiak." These variations often reflected local dialects and traditions in different areas.
Other notable individuals bearing the Musiak surname include Stanisław Musiak, a Polish writer and journalist active in the early 20th century, and Janina Musiak, a renowned actress and theater director who lived from 1900 to 1976, known for her performances in classical Polish plays.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Musiak
Among Census respondents with the surname Musiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Musiak 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 Musiak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Musiak
Musiak 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
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,644 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 3,644 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 Musiak 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 | #157,234 | #153,590 | 2.3% |
| Count | 103 | 104 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Musiak bearers went from 103 to 104 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 3,644 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #153,590.
FAQ
Musiak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Musiak?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Musiak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Musiak?
Musiak ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Musiak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Musiak.
Has Musiak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Musiak went from 103 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Musiak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Musiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Musiak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Musiak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Musiak (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 Musiak mean?
Of Polish origin, meaning a person who plays music. 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 Musiak (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 share the surname Musiak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.