2000
#8,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,745
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Pavlik
A Czech and Slovak surname derived from the given name Pavel, meaning "small" or "humble."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,981 Americans carry the last name Pavlik. That puts it at #9,030 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,098 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pavlik 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
4.0K
1 in 86,098
Census rank
#9,030
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,472 bearers of the surname Pavlik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9030th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavlik, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pavlik
The surname Pavlik originated in the Czech Republic and is believed to have first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Czech word "pavlik," which means "little peacock." The name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with a proud or strutting demeanor, similar to a peacock.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Pavlik can be found in various historical documents from the region, including parish records and tax rolls. One of the earliest known references is in a 1287 document from the town of Klatovy, which mentions a person named "Pavlik ze Sedlece" (Pavlik of Sedlec).
During the Middle Ages, the Pavlik surname was particularly concentrated in the western regions of Bohemia, including areas around the towns of Plzeň and Klatovy. The name's popularity may have been influenced by the presence of a noble family named Pavlík, who held lands and titles in the region during the 14th and 15th centuries.
In the 16th century, the Pavlik surname began to spread to other parts of the Czech lands, as well as neighboring regions of Austria and Germany. This was likely due to increased mobility and migration during that period.
Notable individuals with the surname Pavlik throughout history include:
1. Jan Pavlík (1723-1805), a Czech Catholic priest and writer known for his works on theology and philosophy.
2. Josef Pavlík (1844-1914), a Czech politician and journalist who played a significant role in the Czech National Revival movement.
3. Miloš Pavlík (1885-1941), a Czech painter and illustrator known for his Art Nouveau and Symbolist works.
4. Ladislav Pavlík (1888-1952), a Czech sculptor and medalist who created numerous public monuments and memorials.
5. Simona Pavlíková (born 1991), a contemporary Czech professional tennis player who has achieved notable success on the WTA Tour.
While the surname Pavlik has its origins in the Czech lands, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural diffusion, with variations in spelling and pronunciation occurring in different regions and languages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pavlik
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavlik, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pavlik 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 Pavlik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 3,266
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 110
- Two or more races1.8% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pavlik
Pavlik 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
#8,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,725
-20 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 645 places
2020
#9,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,472
-253 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 233 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,152 | 3,745 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,797 | 3,725 | 1.26 | -20 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 645 places |
| 2020 | #9,030 | 3,472 | 1.16 | -253 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 233 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 Pavlik 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 | #8,797 | #9,030 | -2.6% |
| Count | 3,725 | 3,472 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.16 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pavlik bearers went from 3,725 to 3,472 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 233 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,797 to #9,030.
FAQ
Pavlik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pavlik?
Name Census estimates that about 3,981 living Americans carry the surname Pavlik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,098 residents.
How common is Pavlik?
Pavlik ranks #9,030 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,472 people with the surname Pavlik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,981), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pavlik.
Has Pavlik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pavlik went from 3,725 recorded bearers to 3,472. That is a decrease of 253 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,797 to #9,030.
What does the Census say about the background of Pavlik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pavlik, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Pavlik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (3,266 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pavlik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Pavlik (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 Pavlik mean?
A Czech and Slovak surname derived from the given name Pavel, meaning "small" or "humble." 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 Pavlik (1.16 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 Pavlik?
See how many people have the last name Pavlik on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.