2000
#6,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,907
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.82
Rare Last name
Stanek
A surname derived from the Slavic word "stan," meaning "state" or "condition," likely referring to a person's character or status.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,501 Americans carry the last name Stanek. That puts it at #6,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,308 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stanek 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Stanek with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,308
Census rank
#6,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,797 bearers of the surname Stanek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stanek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stanek
The surname Stanek has its origins in Poland and the Czech Republic, with records dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old Slavic word "stan," meaning a dwelling or settlement.
In Poland, the name Stanek is often associated with the village of Stanki, located in the Masovian Voivodeship. One of the earliest documented references to this surname can be found in the Liber Beneficiorum, a 15th-century record of benefices in the Archdiocese of Gniezno.
The Czech variant, "Stanek," is thought to have originated from the village of Staňkov in the Plzeň Region. This place name is derived from the personal name "Staněk," a diminutive form of the name "Stanislav."
One notable figure bearing this surname was Jan Stanek (c. 1430-1492), a Czech Catholic priest and rector of the University of Prague. He played a significant role in the Hussite religious movement and was a vocal supporter of Jan Hus.
Another historical figure was Wawrzyniec Stanek (1570-1636), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish War. He is remembered for his defense of the city of Smolensk against Swedish forces in 1633.
In the 18th century, Franciszek Stanek (1730-1795) was a Polish painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. He studied in Rome and later became a court painter for King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski.
Józef Stanek (1916-1998) was a Polish priest and writer who served as the rector of the Polish Catholic Mission in Paris from 1969 to 1991. He authored several books on religious and historical topics.
Lastly, Jaroslav Stanek (1952-2021) was a Czech actor and comedian famous for his roles in numerous Czech films and television series. He was recognized for his versatility and comedic timing, earning him several awards throughout his career.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stanek
Among Census respondents with the surname Stanek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Stanek 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 Stanek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 4,500
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 126
- Two or more races2.3% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 45
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stanek
Stanek 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
#6,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,014
+107 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 336 places
2020
#6,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,797
-217 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,391 | 4,907 | 1.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,727 | 5,014 | 1.70 | +107 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 336 places |
| 2020 | #6,755 | 4,797 | 1.60 | -217 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 28 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 Stanek 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 | #6,727 | #6,755 | -0.4% |
| Count | 5,014 | 4,797 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.70 | 1.60 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stanek bearers went from 5,014 to 4,797 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,727 to #6,755.
FAQ
Stanek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stanek?
Name Census estimates that about 5,501 living Americans carry the surname Stanek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,308 residents.
How common is Stanek?
Stanek ranks #6,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,797 people with the surname Stanek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Stanek.
Has Stanek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stanek went from 5,014 recorded bearers to 4,797. That is a decrease of 217 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,727 to #6,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Stanek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stanek, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Stanek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (4,500 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stanek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Stanek (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 Stanek mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic word "stan," meaning "state" or "condition," likely referring to a person's character or status. 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 Stanek (1.60 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 Stanek?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.