2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Volak
A surname derived from a Slavic word meaning "ox" or "oxen".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Volak. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Volak 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Volak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Volak, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Volak
The surname Volak originates from Czech lands in Central Europe, tracing its roots back to the medieval era around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Czech word "volák," which referred to a person who called or summoned others, likely a messenger or herald.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Volak can be found in a registry of landowners and tenants from the region of Bohemia, dated to the late 13th century. This document mentions a certain "Petr Volak" among the listed individuals, suggesting the name's usage during that period.
In the 15th century, a manuscript chronicling the history of the Czech town of Litomyšl mentions a local citizen named "Jan Volak," who served as a respected member of the town council. This reference provides insight into the name's presence in various regions of the Czech lands.
During the 16th century, the surname Volak appeared in the records of the University of Prague, where a student named "Matěj Volak" was enrolled in the Faculty of Arts in 1537. This indicates the name's association with academia and intellectual pursuits.
One notable figure bearing the surname Volak was Jiří Volak (1594-1668), a Czech Catholic priest and theologian who authored several influential works on religious doctrine and moral philosophy. His contributions to the intellectual landscape of the time shed light on the name's connection to scholarly endeavors.
In the 18th century, a Czech composer and musician named Václav Volak (1723-1787) gained recognition for his compositions and performances in Prague and other cultural centers of the region. His legacy highlights the surname's association with the arts and cultural spheres.
Another prominent individual with the surname Volak was Tomáš Volak (1819-1892), a Czech politician and journalist who actively advocated for Czech national rights and played a significant role in the intellectual and political movements of the 19th century.
The surname Volak has also been linked to various place names throughout the Czech lands, such as the village of Volakov (formerly known as "Volakova Lhota") in the Pardubice Region, and the town of Volaky in the Olomouc Region. These toponyms reflect the name's geographic distribution and potential connections to specific localities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Volak
Among Census respondents with the surname Volak, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Volak 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 Volak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Volak
Volak 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,477 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,552 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 17,477 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 1,552 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 Volak 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 | #157,234 | #155,682 | 1.0% |
| Count | 103 | 100 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Volak bearers went from 103 to 100 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 1,552 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,682.
FAQ
Volak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Volak?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Volak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Volak?
Volak ranks #155,682 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 100 people with the surname Volak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), 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 Volak.
Has Volak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Volak went from 103 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Volak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Volak, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Volak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Volak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Volak (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 Volak mean?
A surname derived from a Slavic word meaning "ox" or "oxen". 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 Volak (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 Volak?
See how many people are called Volak on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.