2000
#15,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,710
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Urbanek
A Polish surname derived from the word "urban" meaning "of the city" or "urban dweller".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,945 Americans carry the last name Urbanek. That puts it at #16,448 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 176,223 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Urbanek 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
1.9K
1 in 176,223
Census rank
#16,448
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,696 bearers of the surname Urbanek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16448th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Urbanek, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Urbanek
The surname Urbanek is of Polish origin, with roots dating back to the 15th century. It derives from the Polish word "urbanek," which refers to a small hamlet or village. This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who hailed from rural areas or small settlements.
The earliest documented instances of the surname Urbanek can be traced back to historical records in Poland, such as parish registers and court documents. One notable mention is found in the archives of the town of Poznan, where a certain Jan Urbanek is recorded as a landowner in the year 1487.
Urbanek is also believed to have connections to the German surname Bauer, which means "farmer" or "peasant." This linguistic link reinforces the rural connotations associated with the name's origins.
Throughout history, several individuals bearing the Urbanek surname have made notable contributions in various fields. One such figure is Józef Urbanek (1701-1778), a renowned Polish architect who designed numerous churches and public buildings in the Baroque style across Eastern Europe.
Another noteworthy Urbanek was Franciszek Urbanek (1822-1898), a Polish painter and artist known for his portraiture and religious artworks. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums throughout Poland.
In the realm of literature, Karol Urbanek (1887-1945) was a Polish poet and writer who gained recognition for his lyrical works and contributions to the avant-garde movement in the early 20th century.
The Urbanek surname also has ties to the Czech Republic, where it is sometimes spelled as "Urbanék." One notable Czech bearer of this name was Jan Urbanék (1918-1994), a renowned film director and screenwriter who played a significant role in the Czechoslovak New Wave cinema movement.
Another individual of historical significance is Antoni Urbanek (1921-2007), a Polish resistance fighter during World War II and later a renowned architect and urban planner who contributed to the reconstruction and development of several Polish cities in the post-war era.
While the surname Urbanek may have originated from humble beginnings, referring to those from small rural settlements, it has since been carried by individuals who have left their mark across various disciplines and cultural spheres throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Urbanek
Among Census respondents with the surname Urbanek, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Urbanek 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 Urbanek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 1,595
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 51
- Two or more races1.9% · 32
- Black or African American0.6% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Urbanek
Urbanek 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
#16,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,754
+44 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Down 716 places
2020
#16,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,696
-58 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Down 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,691 | 1,710 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,407 | 1,754 | 0.59 | +44 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 716 places |
| 2020 | #16,448 | 1,696 | 0.57 | -58 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 41 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 Urbanek 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 | #16,407 | #16,448 | -0.2% |
| Count | 1,754 | 1,696 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.57 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Urbanek bearers went from 1,754 to 1,696 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,407 to #16,448.
FAQ
Urbanek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Urbanek?
Name Census estimates that about 1,945 living Americans carry the surname Urbanek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 176,223 residents.
How common is Urbanek?
Urbanek ranks #16,448 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.57 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 1,696 people with the surname Urbanek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,945), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.57 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 Urbanek.
Has Urbanek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Urbanek went from 1,754 recorded bearers to 1,696. That is a decrease of 58 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,407 to #16,448.
What does the Census say about the background of Urbanek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Urbanek, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Urbanek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (1,595 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Urbanek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Urbanek (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 Urbanek mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "urban" meaning "of the city" or "urban dweller". 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 Urbanek (0.57 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 surname Urbanek?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.