2000
#9,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,061
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Strack
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of rope or cord.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,440 Americans carry the last name Strack. That puts it at #10,223 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,638 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Strack 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
3.4K
1 in 99,638
Census rank
#10,223
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,000 bearers of the surname Strack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10223rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Strack, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Strack
The surname Strack has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "strac," which means "straight" or "rigid." This could suggest that the name was initially a descriptive nickname given to someone with a stiff or upright bearing.
In the Middle Ages, many surnames emerged from nicknames or physical characteristics, and Strack likely followed this pattern. The earliest known record of the name appears in the town of Alsfeld, in the German state of Hesse, in a document dated 1285, which mentions a person named Heinrich Strack.
As the name spread throughout Germany, various spelling variations emerged, such as Strak, Stracke, and Strack. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time period.
One notable historical figure with the surname Strack was Johann Heinrich Strack, a German Lutheran theologian and Hebraist who lived from 1805 to 1880. He made significant contributions to the study of the Old Testament and Hebrew language.
Another prominent individual was Hermann Leberecht Strack, a German Protestant theologian and academic who lived from 1848 to 1922. He was a renowned scholar of Judaism and wrote extensively on the subject.
In the Netherlands, the name Strack also has a presence, with records showing variations such as Strak and Stracke. One notable Dutch figure was Willem Strack, a politician and member of the Dutch Parliament who lived from 1868 to 1940.
Moving to the United States, the name Strack can be traced back to German immigrants who arrived in the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable American with this surname was William Strack, a professional baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1903 to 1905.
Another American of note was Henry Strack, a businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1887 to 1968. He was instrumental in the development of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and donated land for various civic projects.
While the surname Strack may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has evolved into a respected family name with a rich history spanning centuries and multiple countries. Its enduring presence serves as a testament to the cultural diversity and resilience of this German surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Strack
Among Census respondents with the surname Strack, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Strack 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 Strack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 2,677
- Two or more races5.1% · 154
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 85
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 29
- Black or African American0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Strack
Strack 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
#10,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,209
+148 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 292 places
2020
#10,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,000
-209 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 187 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,744 | 3,061 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,036 | 3,209 | 1.09 | +148 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 292 places |
| 2020 | #10,223 | 3,000 | 1.00 | -209 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 187 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 Strack 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 | #10,036 | #10,223 | -1.9% |
| Count | 3,209 | 3,000 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.00 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Strack bearers went from 3,209 to 3,000 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 187 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,036 to #10,223.
FAQ
Strack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Strack?
Name Census estimates that about 3,440 living Americans carry the surname Strack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,638 residents.
How common is Strack?
Strack ranks #10,223 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,000 people with the surname Strack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,440), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Strack.
Has Strack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Strack went from 3,209 recorded bearers to 3,000. That is a decrease of 209 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,036 to #10,223.
What does the Census say about the background of Strack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Strack, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Strack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (2,677 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Strack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Strack (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 Strack mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of rope or cord. 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 Strack (1.00 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 Strack?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.