2000
#114,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Musilek
A surname of Czech origin referring to a small or diminutive person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Musilek. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Musilek 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Musilek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Musilek, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Musilek
The surname Musilek is of Czech origin, originating in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Czech word "musil," meaning "must" or "had to," indicating that the name may have referred to someone who was obligated to perform a particular task or duty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Musilek can be found in the Bohemian land records from the 16th century. These records document various transactions and legal proceedings involving individuals bearing this surname within the Czech lands.
In the 17th century, the Musilek name appeared in several church registries and parish records, providing insights into the geographical distribution and prevalence of the surname across various regions of Bohemia and Moravia.
A notable figure bearing the Musilek surname was Jan Musilek (1617-1682), a renowned Czech composer and organist who served at the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. His contributions to the development of sacred music during the Baroque era were significant.
Another prominent individual was Karel Musilek (1768-1824), a Czech novelist and playwright who gained recognition for his literary works depicting the lives of ordinary people in rural Bohemia. His novels and plays were widely acclaimed for their realistic portrayal of Czech society and traditions.
In the 19th century, the Musilek surname gained further prominence with the birth of Alois Musilek (1836-1911), a Czech architect who designed numerous notable buildings in Prague and other cities across the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His architectural style combined elements of Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque, leaving a lasting imprint on the urban landscape of his time.
The name Musilek also has ties to the Czech resistance movement during World War II. Antonín Musilek (1920-1944) was a member of the resistance group "Obrana národa" (Defense of the Nation). He was executed by the Nazi regime for his involvement in underground activities against the German occupation.
Throughout its history, the Musilek surname has been associated with various professions and fields, from music and literature to architecture and resistance movements, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Musilek
Among Census respondents with the surname Musilek, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Musilek 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 Musilek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Musilek
Musilek 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
#121,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,424 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-26 bearers (-18.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,166 | 142 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #121,590 | 142 | 0.05 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 7,424 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-18.3%) | Down 23,438 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 Musilek 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 | #121,590 | #145,028 | -19.3% |
| Count | 142 | 116 | -18.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Musilek bearers went from 142 to 116 (-18.3% change). The surname moved down 23,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #121,590 to #145,028.
FAQ
Musilek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Musilek?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Musilek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Musilek?
Musilek ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Musilek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Musilek.
Has Musilek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Musilek went from 142 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 26 (-18.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #121,590 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Musilek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Musilek, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (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 Musilek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Musilek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (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 Musilek (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 Musilek mean?
A surname of Czech origin referring to a small or diminutive person. 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 Musilek (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 Americans have the surname Musilek?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.