2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pezdek
An archaic Czech surname potentially derived from a word meaning "rump" or "backside".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Pezdek. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pezdek 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Pezdek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pezdek, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pezdek
The surname Pezdek has its origins in the Czech Republic, with records of the name dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Czech word "pezdrák," which referred to a person's occupation or trade as a rope maker or twine braider.
One of the earliest known references to the Pezdek name can be found in a document from the town of Kutná Hora, dated 1587. This document mentions a "Jan Pezdek," who was a local craftsman specializing in the production of ropes and twine.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Pezdek name began to spread across different regions of the Czech lands, with families bearing the surname recorded in various town and village records. Variations in spelling, such as "Pezdecky" and "Pezdecka," were also documented.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure named Jakub Pezdek (1745-1819) gained recognition as a skilled woodcarver and sculptor, contributing to the decoration of several churches and monasteries in the region of Bohemia.
Another prominent individual bearing the Pezdek surname was Václav Pezdek (1802-1867), a Czech painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life. His works were widely exhibited and acclaimed during his lifetime.
The 19th century also saw the Pezdek name appear in historical records related to the Czech National Revival movement, with several individuals playing active roles in promoting Czech culture, literature, and national identity.
One such figure was Karel Pezdek (1821-1891), a writer and journalist who contributed to various Czech publications and advocated for the preservation of Czech traditions and language.
Throughout the 20th century, the Pezdek surname continued to be represented across various fields, including academia, arts, and politics. Notable individuals include Miloš Pezdek (1914-1998), a prominent Czech economist and professor, and Zdeněk Pezdek (1928-2005), a respected actor and director in the Czech theater scene.
While the surname Pezdek is not among the most common in the Czech Republic today, its historical roots and connections to traditional crafts and cultural movements have left an indelible mark on the nation's heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pezdek
Among Census respondents with the surname Pezdek, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pezdek 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 Pezdek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 101
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pezdek
Pezdek appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,438 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 Pezdek 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 | #146,201 | #151,639 | -3.7% |
| Count | 113 | 107 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pezdek bearers went from 113 to 107 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #151,639.
FAQ
Pezdek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pezdek?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Pezdek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Pezdek?
Pezdek ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Pezdek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Pezdek.
Has Pezdek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pezdek went from 113 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Pezdek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pezdek, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Pezdek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pezdek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Black (1.9%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Pezdek (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 Pezdek mean?
An archaic Czech surname potentially derived from a word meaning "rump" or "backside". 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 Pezdek (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 Pezdek?
Find out how many people are called Pezdek on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.