2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Opalach
A surname of Polish origin meaning "the burner" or "fire starter".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Opalach. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Opalach 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Opalach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Opalach, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Opalach
The surname Opalach is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the late 15th century. It likely originated from the Polish word "opal," which means "amber," and the suffix "-ach," which was commonly used to denote a place of origin or residence. This suggests that the name may have been associated with an area known for amber or individuals who worked with this material.
One of the earliest known references to the Opalach surname appears in a 1495 land record from the town of Opalenica, located in the Greater Poland region. This document mentions a landowner named Stanisław Opalach, indicating that the name was already well-established in that area at the time.
In the 16th century, the Opalach name gained prominence among the Polish nobility. Notable individuals from this period include Jan Opalach (1520-1578), a distinguished military commander who fought in the Livonian War, and Katarzyna Opalach (1542-1612), a renowned philanthropist and patron of the arts.
The Opalach surname also has links to the historic city of Kraków. In the 17th century, a prominent family of merchants and traders bearing this name lived in the city's Kazimierz district, which was home to a thriving Jewish community. One of the most notable members of this family was Jakub Opalach (1635-1699), a successful businessman and landowner.
As the Opalach name spread throughout Poland, it was occasionally adapted to different spellings or variations, such as Opalich, Opalicz, or Opalinsky. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects or linguistic preferences.
In the 19th century, the Opalach surname gained international recognition through the works of the renowned Polish composer and pianist, Franciszek Opalach (1811-1886). His compositions, particularly his piano concertos, were widely performed and celebrated across Europe during his lifetime.
Another notable figure with the Opalach surname was Maria Opalach (1879-1954), a pioneering Polish educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools and organizations dedicated to promoting educational opportunities for girls and women in the early 20th century.
While the Opalach name has deep roots in Polish history and culture, it has also been carried by individuals of Polish descent to various parts of the world, contributing to its global spread and recognition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Opalach
Among Census respondents with the surname Opalach, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Opalach 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 Opalach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 92
- Two or more races4.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Opalach
Opalach 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-13 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,032 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-18 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,308 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 20,032 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 12,308 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 Opalach 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 | #144,141 | #156,449 | -8.5% |
| Count | 115 | 97 | -15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Opalach bearers went from 115 to 97 (-15.7% change). The surname moved down 12,308 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #156,449.
FAQ
Opalach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Opalach?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Opalach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Opalach?
Opalach ranks #156,449 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 97 people with the surname Opalach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), 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 Opalach.
Has Opalach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Opalach went from 115 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Opalach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Opalach, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Opalach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Opalach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Opalach (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 Opalach mean?
A surname of Polish origin meaning "the burner" or "fire starter". 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 Opalach (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 have the surname Opalach?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.