Find out how popular the last name Pavlak is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pavlak.

Pavlak, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pavlak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pavlak in America

Pavlak is the 28967th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pavlak surname appeared 820 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pavlak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pavlak to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pavlak

The surname Pavlak is of Slavic origin, with roots tracing back to the regions of modern-day Czech Republic and Slovakia. It likely emerged during the 12th or 13th century, derived from the Slavic personal name Pavel or Pavlo, which itself is a variation of the Latin name Paulus, meaning "small" or "humble."

One of the earliest known records of the Pavlak name dates back to 1425, when a Mikuláš Pavlak was mentioned in a document from the town of Brno, in what is now the Czech Republic. The name also appeared in various land registers and municipal records from the 15th and 16th centuries across Bohemia and Moravia.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the Pavlak surname was Jan Pavlak, a Czech composer and organist who lived from 1597 to 1642. His compositions, primarily sacred works for the church, were influential in the development of Baroque music in Central Europe. Another noteworthy individual was Václav Pavlak (1642-1718), a Czech painter and engraver known for his religious artwork adorning churches in Prague and other cities.

In the 19th century, the Pavlak name gained prominence with the birth of Tomáš Pavlak (1829-1901), a Czech politician and journalist who played a significant role in the Czech National Revival movement. He was a vocal advocate for Czech autonomy within the Austro-Hungarian Empire and co-founded several influential Czech-language publications.

The surname Pavlak also found its way to neighboring regions, such as Poland and Slovakia. One notable bearer was Ján Pavlak (1884-1964), a Slovak Roman Catholic priest and writer who published numerous religious works and translations of theological texts. His contributions to Slovak literature and the preservation of the Slovak language were widely recognized.

Over the centuries, the Pavlak name has appeared in various forms, including Pawlak, Pavláček, and Pawlaczek, reflecting regional linguistic variations and spelling conventions. While the surname has maintained a strong presence in Central and Eastern Europe, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pavlak

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pavlak.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pavlak was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pavlak has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pavlak was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pavlak, please contact us.

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