2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vilcheck
Of Bohemian origin, a habitational name for someone from a place named Vilchkov.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Vilcheck. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vilcheck 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Vilcheck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilcheck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vilcheck
The surname Vilcheck is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic, where it was first recorded in the early 15th century. The name likely has its roots in the Slavic word "vil," which means "elf" or "sprite," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who was thought to possess elfin or mischievous qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vilcheck can be found in a 1425 manuscript from the town of Litomerice, which refers to a man named Jan Vilcheck. This document provides valuable insight into the historical origins of the surname and its widespread use in the region during that time period.
In the late 16th century, the name Vilcheck appears in a registry of landowners in the village of Branov, which was located near the border of what is now Poland. This record suggests that the family may have held a certain level of prominence or status within the local community.
During the 17th century, the name Vilcheck began to spread beyond the borders of the Czech Republic, with records indicating individuals bearing the surname in neighboring regions such as Silesia and Moravia. One notable figure from this era was Vaclav Vilcheck, a Czech philosopher and theologian who lived from 1628 to 1699.
As the name continued to disperse throughout Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, it underwent various spellings and adaptations. For instance, in some areas of Germany, the name was recorded as "Wilcheck," while in parts of Poland, it appeared as "Wilczek."
Among the notable individuals with the surname Vilcheck throughout history are:
1. Jiri Vilcheck (1570-1638), a Czech architect who designed several churches and castles in Bohemia.
2. Katarina Vilcheck (1725-1792), a Slovak poet and writer who is considered one of the pioneering voices of Slovak literature.
3. Josef Vilcheck (1804-1879), a Czech painter known for his landscape and portraiture works.
4. Ludvik Vilcheck (1865-1927), a Czech composer and conductor who helped establish the National Theatre in Prague.
5. Anna Vilcheck (1890-1972), a Polish-born actress and theater director who performed extensively in Warsaw and Krakow.
While the surname Vilcheck may have evolved and adapted over time, its roots can be traced back to the Czech Republic, where it first emerged as a distinctive identifier for individuals and families in the 15th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vilcheck
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilcheck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Vilcheck 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 Vilcheck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 107
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vilcheck
Vilcheck 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,898 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,898 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Vilcheck 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 | #140,157 | #145,757 | -4.0% |
| Count | 119 | 115 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vilcheck bearers went from 119 to 115 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #145,757.
FAQ
Vilcheck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vilcheck?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Vilcheck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Vilcheck?
Vilcheck ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Vilcheck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Vilcheck.
Has Vilcheck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vilcheck went from 119 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Vilcheck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vilcheck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Vilcheck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vilcheck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Black (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Vilcheck (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 Vilcheck mean?
Of Bohemian origin, a habitational name for someone from a place named Vilchkov. 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 Vilcheck (0.04 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 are called Vilcheck?
Find out how many people are called Vilcheck on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.