2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pavlacka
A surname of Czech origin meaning either a small loaf of bread or describing someone with a twisted mouth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Pavlacka. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pavlacka 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Pavlacka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavlacka, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pavlacka
The surname Pavlacka has its origins in the Czech Republic, emerging in the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Czech word "pavlača," which means "balcony" or "terrace." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who resided in homes with prominent balconies or terraces.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pavlacka can be found in the records of the town of Kutná Hora, located in central Bohemia, dating back to the late 1400s. These records mention a family by the name of Pavlacka residing in the area during that time period.
In the 16th century, the name Pavlacka appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts across various regions of the Czech lands. For instance, a record from 1523 mentions a certain Jakub Pavlacka, a merchant from the city of Olomouc.
During the 17th century, the name Pavlacka gained recognition through the work of Jan Pavlacka, a renowned Czech mathematician and astronomer born in 1629. He made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy and mathematics, publishing several influential works during his lifetime.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Pavlacka was Václav Pavlacka, a Czech painter and artist who lived from 1741 to 1799. He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes adorning churches throughout the Czech lands.
In the 19th century, the name Pavlacka was associated with various places and settlements throughout the Czech Republic. For example, the village of Pavlačka, located in the Moravian region, is believed to have derived its name from the surname Pavlacka, suggesting the presence of families with this surname in the area.
While the surname Pavlacka is predominantly Czech in origin, it has also been recorded in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage. For instance, records from the early 20th century indicate the presence of individuals with the surname Pavlacka in parts of Austria and Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pavlacka
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavlacka, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Pavlacka 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 Pavlacka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 109
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pavlacka
Pavlacka 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,035 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-7 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,056 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,035 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 7,056 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 Pavlacka 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 | #143,149 | #150,205 | -4.9% |
| Count | 116 | 109 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pavlacka bearers went from 116 to 109 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 7,056 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #150,205.
FAQ
Pavlacka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pavlacka?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Pavlacka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Pavlacka?
Pavlacka ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Pavlacka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Pavlacka.
Has Pavlacka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pavlacka went from 116 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Pavlacka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavlacka, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Pavlacka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pavlacka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Pavlacka (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 Pavlacka mean?
A surname of Czech origin meaning either a small loaf of bread or describing someone with a twisted mouth. 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 Pavlacka (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 Pavlacka?
Find out how many people are called Pavlacka on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.