2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tonak
A surname likely of Turkish origin related to "tonaklamak" meaning to hoard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Tonak. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tonak 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Tonak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tonak, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tonak
The surname Tonak originated in the region now known as Poland during the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Slavic word "tonok," which translates to "thin" or "slender." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a slim build.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tonak can be found in a document from the town of Krakow, dated 1287. This document mentions a merchant named Wojciech Tonak, who was involved in trade with neighboring regions.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records from the Silesian region, which was then part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. One notable example is Jan Tonak, a landowner from the village of Opole, who was mentioned in a land dispute settlement from 1362.
During the Renaissance period, the Tonak family gained prominence in the city of Gdansk, a major trading hub in the Prussian region. In the late 15th century, a merchant named Kasper Tonak established a successful import-export business, dealing in goods from across Europe and the Baltic Sea.
The 17th century saw the rise of a notable scholar and philosopher named Andrzej Tonak. Born in 1612 in the town of Lublin, he studied at the prestigious Jagiellonian University in Krakow and later became a professor of theology and ethics. His works on moral philosophy and religious thought were widely read throughout Central Europe.
In the 19th century, the Tonak name gained recognition in the field of literature. Maria Tonak, born in 1824 in Warsaw, was a celebrated poet and author known for her romantic verses and novels depicting the struggles of Polish society under foreign rule.
Another notable figure with the surname Tonak was Stefan Tonak, a Polish military officer who fought in the uprisings against Russian occupation in the late 19th century. Born in 1858 in Kielce, he rose through the ranks and became a respected commander during the January Uprising of 1863-1864.
Throughout its history, the surname Tonak has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Poland, particularly in the areas around Krakow, Silesia, and the former Prussian territories. While its origins can be traced back to medieval times, the name has endured and continues to be associated with Polish heritage and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tonak
Among Census respondents with the surname Tonak, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tonak 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 Tonak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 96
- Black or African American3.0% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tonak
Tonak 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-13 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,930 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 774 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 22,930 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 774 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 Tonak 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 | #156,044 | #155,270 | 0.5% |
| Count | 104 | 101 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tonak bearers went from 104 to 101 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 774 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #155,270.
FAQ
Tonak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tonak?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Tonak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Tonak?
Tonak ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Tonak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Tonak.
Has Tonak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tonak went from 104 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Tonak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tonak, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Tonak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tonak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Black (3.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Tonak (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 Tonak mean?
A surname likely of Turkish origin related to "tonaklamak" meaning to hoard. 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 Tonak (0.03 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 common is the surname Tonak?
You can see how many people have the surname Tonak on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.