2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Orsulak
A surname of Ukrainian or Polish origins, likely derived from a diminutive form of the given name Orsolya or Ursula.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Orsulak. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Orsulak 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Orsulak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Orsulak, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Orsulak
The surname Orsulak has its origins in the Eastern European region, specifically in Poland and neighboring areas of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus. It is believed to have emerged sometime during the late medieval period or early modern era, around the 15th to 17th centuries.
The name Orsulak is thought to be derived from the Polish word "orzel," which means "eagle." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who were skilled hunters, falconers, or held a particular affinity for the symbolic bird. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational surname given to those who worked with eagles or in trades related to birds of prey.
While no definitive historical references have been found in prominent medieval manuscripts, such as the Domesday Book, some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orsulak can be traced back to Polish parish records and census documents from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Orsulak surname was Jan Orsulak, a Polish nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 16th century. His estate was located in the region of Lesser Poland, near the city of Krakow. Records indicate that he was involved in local politics and served as a representative in the regional council.
Another notable individual with the Orsulak surname was Marianna Orsulak, a Polish-born artist and painter who lived in the late 18th century. She was known for her portraits and religious paintings, many of which can still be found in churches and museums throughout Poland.
In the 19th century, the Orsulak name gained some prominence in the field of education. Józef Orsulak (1805-1876) was a respected teacher and headmaster in the city of Lviv, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire but is now located in modern-day Ukraine.
Moving into the early 20th century, Stefan Orsulak (1892-1965) was a Polish-born engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early radio technology. He held several patents and worked for companies in both Europe and the United States.
Lastly, one of the more recent figures of note with the Orsulak surname was Bronisław Orsulak (1917-2003), a Polish-born military officer who served in the Polish Armed Forces during World War II and later settled in the United Kingdom after the war. He was awarded several medals for his bravery and service during the conflict.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Orsulak
Among Census respondents with the surname Orsulak, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Orsulak 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 Orsulak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Orsulak
Orsulak 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+10 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 482 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-18 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,513 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +10 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 482 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 17,513 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 Orsulak 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 | #123,796 | #141,309 | -14.1% |
| Count | 139 | 121 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Orsulak bearers went from 139 to 121 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 17,513 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #141,309.
FAQ
Orsulak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Orsulak?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Orsulak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Orsulak?
Orsulak ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Orsulak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Orsulak.
Has Orsulak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Orsulak went from 139 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 18 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Orsulak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Orsulak, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Orsulak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Orsulak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Orsulak (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 Orsulak mean?
A surname of Ukrainian or Polish origins, likely derived from a diminutive form of the given name Orsolya or Ursula. 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 Orsulak (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 common is the surname Orsulak?
You can see how many people are called Orsulak on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.