2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Petzak
An occupational surname derived from the German word for "caulker" or "roofer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Petzak. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Petzak 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Petzak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Petzak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Petzak
The surname Petzak originated in Germany, likely in the late medieval period around the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Petze," which means "rag" or "piece of cloth," suggesting a possible connection to an occupation or trade involving textiles or clothing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Petzak can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Germany, where a certain Johann Petzak was listed as a citizen in the year 1487. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 15th century.
The name Petzak is also closely associated with the town of Petzak (now known as Pěčice) in the Czech Republic, which may have been named after an individual or family bearing the surname. This town's name is first mentioned in historical records dating back to the 13th century, indicating that the name may have even earlier origins.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Petzak (c. 1520 - c. 1590) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Nuremberg, Germany. His successful business dealings and acquisition of property suggest that the Petzak name had already gained some prominence by that time.
Another notable individual with the surname Petzak was Johann Petzak (1677 - 1745), a German painter and engraver who was active in the early 18th century. His works, which include various religious paintings and etchings, can be found in several galleries and museums across Europe.
In the 19th century, a German writer and poet named Adolf Petzak (1846 - 1907) gained recognition for his novels and poetry collections, which often explored themes of nature and the human condition. His works were widely published in Germany and Austria during his lifetime.
Moving into the 20th century, Max Petzak (1891 - 1964) was an Austrian linguist and philologist who made significant contributions to the study of Slavic languages. He served as a professor at the University of Vienna and authored several influential works on the historical development of languages.
Throughout its history, the surname Petzak has maintained a strong presence in various parts of Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, although it has also spread to other regions and countries over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Petzak
Among Census respondents with the surname Petzak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Petzak 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 Petzak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 5
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Petzak
Petzak 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,384 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-12 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,874 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 3,384 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 6,874 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 Petzak 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 | #149,395 | #156,269 | -4.6% |
| Count | 110 | 98 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Petzak bearers went from 110 to 98 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 6,874 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #156,269.
FAQ
Petzak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Petzak?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Petzak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Petzak?
Petzak ranks #156,269 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 98 people with the surname Petzak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), 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 Petzak.
Has Petzak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Petzak went from 110 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Petzak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Petzak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Petzak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Petzak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (5.1%), Black (2.0%). 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 Petzak (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 Petzak mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word for "caulker" or "roofer." 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 Petzak (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 are called Petzak?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Petzak? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.