2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Procak
A phonetic variant of the surname Proček, meaning "little brook" in Czech.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Procak. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Procak 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Procak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Procak, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Procak
The surname Procak is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic during the late 15th century. It is derived from the Czech word "prokac," which means "to pluck" or "to pull out." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a weaver or textile worker, plucking fibers from raw materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Procak can be found in a document from the town of Brno, dated 1492. The document mentions a "Jan Procak," who was a weaver by trade. This provides strong evidence that the name was already in use during this time period and was likely associated with the textile industry.
In the 16th century, the name Procak began to spread beyond the borders of the Czech Republic. Records show that a family by the name of Procak had settled in the town of Krakow, Poland, by the mid-1500s. This suggests that the name may have been carried by immigrants or travelers from the Czech lands to neighboring regions.
One notable individual with the surname Procak was Jakub Procak, a prominent merchant who lived in Prague during the early 17th century. He was known for his successful trading business, which dealt in textiles and other goods from across Europe. This further reinforces the connection between the name Procak and the textile industry.
Another historical figure of note was Tomáš Procak, a Czech writer and philosopher who lived from 1678 to 1743. He authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy, which were widely read and discussed during his lifetime. His writings provide insight into the intellectual and cultural climate of the Czech lands during the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, the surname Procak can be found in various records from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which at the time encompassed much of Central Europe, including parts of the Czech lands. One example is Jan Procak, a Czech musician and composer who lived from 1829 to 1891. He is known for his contributions to the development of Czech classical music during this period.
It is important to note that variations in spelling and pronunciation of the surname Procak may have occurred over time and across different regions. For instance, some historical records may show the name spelled as "Prochazka" or "Procházka," which are closely related Czech surnames with similar origins and meanings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Procak
Among Census respondents with the surname Procak, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Procak 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 Procak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Procak
Procak 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+8 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,556 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-12 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 1,556 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 12,361 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 Procak 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 | #135,593 | #147,954 | -9.1% |
| Count | 124 | 112 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Procak bearers went from 124 to 112 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 12,361 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #147,954.
FAQ
Procak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Procak?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Procak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Procak?
Procak ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Procak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Procak.
Has Procak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Procak went from 124 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Procak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Procak, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (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 Procak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Procak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Hispanic (7.1%), Two or More Races (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 Procak (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 Procak mean?
A phonetic variant of the surname Proček, meaning "little brook" in Czech. 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 Procak (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 share the surname Procak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.