2000
#70,679
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 258
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Pytlak
A Polish surname derived from the word pytlarz, referring to someone who hunts or captures small birds.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 273 Americans carry the last name Pytlak. That puts it at #84,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,255,510 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pytlak 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
273
1 in 1,255,510
Census rank
#84,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
238
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 238 bearers of the surname Pytlak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 84785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pytlak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pytlak
The surname PYTLAK is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Małopolska, located in southern Poland. The name is derived from the Polish word "pytlak," which means "sackcloth" or "coarse cloth."
In medieval times, sackcloth was a common material used by peasants and workers for clothing and other purposes. It is likely that the surname PYTLAK was initially given as a descriptive name to someone who worked with sackcloth or wore clothes made from this material.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PYTLAK can be found in the records of the city of Kraków, dating back to the late 15th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Pytlack" and "Pytlak," reflecting the evolution of the Polish language over time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname PYTLAK was Jan Pytlak, a merchant and landowner from the town of Tarnów. He was born around 1520 and was known for his successful business ventures and contributions to the local community.
Another prominent individual with the surname PYTLAK was Stanisław Pytlak, a 17th-century priest and scholar from the region of Małopolska. He was born in 1632 and authored several theological writings that were widely circulated during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, Józef Pytlak (1820-1898) was a renowned painter from the city of Kraków. He specialized in portraiture and religious scenes, and his works can still be found in various churches and museums throughout Poland.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Andrzej Pytlak (1873-1945) was a prominent figure in the Polish independence movement. He was a journalist and activist who advocated for Poland's sovereignty and played a significant role in the country's struggle for freedom from foreign rule.
Another notable bearer of the surname PYTLAK was Wanda Pytlak (1901-1987), a renowned Polish actress who graced the stages of theaters in Warsaw and Kraków during the mid-20th century. She was celebrated for her performances in both dramatic and comedic roles.
While the surname PYTLAK originated in southern Poland, it has since spread to other regions of the country and beyond, as families migrated and settled in new areas over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pytlak
Among Census respondents with the surname Pytlak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pytlak 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 Pytlak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 215
- Two or more races5.0% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 6
- Black or African American1.3% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pytlak
Pytlak 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
#78,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 245
-13 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 7,361 places
2020
#84,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 238
-7 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 6,745 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #70,679 | 258 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,040 | 245 | 0.08 | -13 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 7,361 places |
| 2020 | #84,785 | 238 | 0.08 | -7 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 6,745 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 Pytlak 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 | #78,040 | #84,785 | -8.6% |
| Count | 245 | 238 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pytlak bearers went from 245 to 238 (-2.9% change). The surname moved down 6,745 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,040 to #84,785.
FAQ
Pytlak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pytlak?
Name Census estimates that about 273 living Americans carry the surname Pytlak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,255,510 residents.
How common is Pytlak?
Pytlak ranks #84,785 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 238 people with the surname Pytlak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (273), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Pytlak.
Has Pytlak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pytlak went from 245 recorded bearers to 238. That is a decrease of 7 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #78,040 to #84,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Pytlak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pytlak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Pytlak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (215 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pytlak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Pytlak (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 Pytlak mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word pytlarz, referring to someone who hunts or captures small birds. 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 Pytlak (0.08 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 Pytlak?
You can see how common the surname Pytlak is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.