2000
#88,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 196
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Sitnik
Of Ukrainian origin, referring to someone who made sieves or screens.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 206 Americans carry the last name Sitnik. That puts it at #105,671 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,663,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sitnik 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
206
1 in 1,663,856
Census rank
#105,671
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
180
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 180 bearers of the surname Sitnik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 105671st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sitnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sitnik
The surname Sitnik originated in the 14th century in the region of Volhynia, located in modern-day western Ukraine and eastern Poland. It is derived from the Old East Slavic word "sitnik," which means "one who gathers rushes or sedges." This suggests that the name likely referred to an occupation or trade involving the harvesting and utilization of these aquatic plants, which were commonly used for thatching roofs, weaving baskets, and other crafts.
One of the earliest known references to the name Sitnik can be found in a historical document from the city of Lutsk, Volhynia, dated 1395. This record mentions a certain Ivan Sitnik, who was a craftsman and likely involved in the production of woven goods made from rushes or sedges.
In the 16th century, the Sitnik surname began to appear in various Polish and Lithuanian records, indicating the migration and spread of individuals bearing this name. For instance, a document from the town of Brest, Belarus, dated 1542, mentions a merchant named Hryhorii Sitnik, who traded in goods produced from rushes and other aquatic plants.
As the name gained prominence, some notable individuals bearing the Sitnik surname emerged throughout history. One such figure was Mykhailo Sitnik (1624-1688), a Cossack officer and military leader who fought in the Khmelnytsky Uprising against Polish-Lithuanian rule in Ukraine.
Another significant bearer of the Sitnik name was Yevhenia Sitnik (1789-1856), a Ukrainian landowner and philanthropist who founded several schools and institutions for the education of underprivileged children in the region of Poltava.
In the 19th century, the Sitnik surname was found among intellectuals and artists. For example, Hryhorii Sitnik (1823-1886) was a prominent Ukrainian writer and poet who contributed to the development of the Ukrainian literary language.
Towards the end of the 19th century and into the early 20th century, the Sitnik surname gained recognition in the field of science. One notable figure was Volodymyr Sitnik (1882-1941), a Ukrainian physicist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of radio technology.
Overall, the surname Sitnik has a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural traditions and occupations of the Volhynian region, and its bearers have made notable contributions across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sitnik
Among Census respondents with the surname Sitnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sitnik 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 Sitnik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 171
- Two or more races3.9% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sitnik
Sitnik 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
#86,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 214
+18 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 1,102 places
2020
#105,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 180
-34 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 18,690 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #88,083 | 196 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #86,981 | 214 | 0.07 | +18 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 1,102 places |
| 2020 | #105,671 | 180 | 0.06 | -34 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 18,690 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 Sitnik 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 | #86,981 | #105,671 | -21.5% |
| Count | 214 | 180 | -15.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -14.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sitnik bearers went from 214 to 180 (-15.9% change). The surname moved down 18,690 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,981 to #105,671.
FAQ
Sitnik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sitnik?
Name Census estimates that about 206 living Americans carry the surname Sitnik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,663,856 residents.
How common is Sitnik?
Sitnik ranks #105,671 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 180 people with the surname Sitnik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (206), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Sitnik.
Has Sitnik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sitnik went from 214 recorded bearers to 180. That is a decrease of 34 (-15.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #86,981 to #105,671.
What does the Census say about the background of Sitnik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sitnik, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.1%). 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 Sitnik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (171 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sitnik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.1%). 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 Sitnik (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 Sitnik mean?
Of Ukrainian origin, referring to someone who made sieves or screens. 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 Sitnik (0.06 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 Sitnik?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.