2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pouk
An anglicized form of the Czech surname Pöök, potentially derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Pouk. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pouk 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Pouk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pouk, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.8%) and Black (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pouk
The surname POUK is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old Czech word "pouk," which referred to a type of insect or small creature. This surname may have initially been a nickname or descriptive name given to an individual, perhaps with reference to their physical appearance or behavior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname POUK can be found in a census record from the city of Prague, dated 1437. This document lists a "Jan Pouk" as a resident of the city's Old Town district. The name also appears in various other historical records from the region, including land registries and church records.
In the 16th century, a man named Vaclav POUK (1535-1609) gained some renown as a skilled clockmaker and metalworker in the town of Kutná Hora, known for its rich silver mines. His intricate clocks and timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy merchants of the time.
During the 17th century, the name POUK can be found in the records of the Thirty Years' War, with a soldier named Jiri POUK (1602-1679) serving in the armies of the Holy Roman Empire. His exploits are briefly mentioned in a contemporary account of the Battle of Nördlingen in 1634.
As the centuries passed, the POUK surname spread to other parts of Europe, with some bearers of the name emigrating to new lands. In the late 18th century, a man named Frantisek POUK (1758-1832) made a name for himself as a prolific writer and playwright in Vienna, Austria, where he resided for much of his life.
Another notable figure with the POUK surname was Karel POUK (1892-1968), a Czech artist and sculptor who was particularly renowned for his Art Deco-style works. His sculptures and public monuments can still be seen in various cities across the Czech Republic and neighboring countries.
While the POUK surname may have originated from humble beginnings, its bearers have contributed to various fields throughout history, leaving their mark on the cultural and artistic landscapes of Central Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pouk
Among Census respondents with the surname Pouk, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.8%) and Black (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pouk 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 Pouk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.8% · 12
- Black or African American4.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pouk
Pouk 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,465 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 5,465 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,412 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 Pouk 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 | #147,253 | #148,665 | -1.0% |
| Count | 112 | 111 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pouk bearers went from 112 to 111 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #148,665.
FAQ
Pouk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pouk?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Pouk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Pouk?
Pouk ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Pouk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Pouk.
Has Pouk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pouk went from 112 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Pouk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pouk, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.8%) and Black (4.5%). 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 Pouk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pouk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.8%), Black (4.5%). 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 Pouk (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 Pouk mean?
An anglicized form of the Czech surname Pöök, potentially derived from a place name. 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 Pouk (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 have the last name Pouk?
See how many people have the last name Pouk on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.