2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Resk
A surname originating from Eastern Europe, possibly derived from a topographic name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Resk. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Resk 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Resk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Resk, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Resk
The surname RESK is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "resc," meaning a rush or reed. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked with reeds or rushes, such as a basketmaker or thatcher.
The earliest known recorded instance of the RESK surname dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273, where a person named John Resk was mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established in various parts of England by that time.
During the 14th century, the surname RESK appeared in several historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Thomas Resk was listed. This indicates that the name had spread to different regions of England by that point.
One notable historical figure with the RESK surname was William Resk, a merchant and alderman who lived in London during the 15th century (c. 1420 - 1488). He was a prominent member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1470.
In the 16th century, the RESK surname was also found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, where a family of that name resided in the village of Eastington. One member of this family, John Resk (c. 1540 - 1612), was a respected landowner and served as a churchwarden in the local parish.
Another notable person with the RESK surname was Robert Resk (c. 1570 - 1638), a scholar and author who was born in Lincolnshire. He studied at the University of Cambridge and later became a fellow of Corpus Christi College, where he taught and wrote several works on theology and philosophy.
While the RESK surname has its roots in England, over the centuries, it has also spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of migration and immigration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Resk
Among Census respondents with the surname Resk, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Resk 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 Resk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 105
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Resk
Resk 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
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,275 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,275 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 Resk 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 | #145,220 | #146,495 | -0.9% |
| Count | 114 | 114 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Resk bearers went from 114 to 114 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,275 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #146,495.
FAQ
Resk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Resk?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Resk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Resk?
Resk ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Resk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Resk.
Has Resk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Resk went from 114 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Resk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Resk, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Resk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Resk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Resk (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 Resk mean?
A surname originating from Eastern Europe, possibly derived from a topographic 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 Resk (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 Resk?
You can see how many people are called Resk on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.