2000
#96,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 175
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Zdunek
A Polish surname derived from the personal name Zdzierad or Zdzieslaw.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 232 Americans carry the last name Zdunek. That puts it at #96,572 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,477,389 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zdunek 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
232
1 in 1,477,389
Census rank
#96,572
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
202
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 202 bearers of the surname Zdunek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 96572nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zdunek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zdunek
The surname Zdunek is of Polish origin, with roots tracing back to medieval Poland. Derived from the Polish word "zdun," which means potter or stove fitter, the name indicates that its earliest bearers were likely involved in these trades. The suffix "ek" is diminutive in Polish, suggesting that Zdunek originally meant "little potter" or "young potter."
This surname emerged as a family name when the need to distinguish between people of the same first name became essential around the 14th to 15th centuries. Geographically, Zdunek originated in regions of Poland where pottery and related crafts were prominent, particularly in areas known for vibrant pottery trades such as Lesser Poland and Silesia.
Zdunek first appeared in historical records in the early 1500s. A notable mention of the name can be found in a 1543 register of master tradesmen in Kraków, one of Poland’s oldest cities renowned for its artisans. During this period, family names were typically associated with professional guilds, providing evidence that a person bearing the surname Zdunek was likely a recognized craftsman in the city's flourishing trade economy.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Stanisław Zdunek, a distinguished potter mentioned in Kraków's guild archives around 1560. His works were significant enough to be recorded alongside other esteemed tradesmen of the era, highlighting the respect and recognition his craft commanded.
In the 17th century, the name continued to surface in various municipal records. For instance, Jan Zdunek was documented as a property owner in Poznań in 1654. This suggests the Zdunek family had established a lasting presence and attained some level of property ownership and social standing during a period marked by Poland's golden age.
The 18th century saw Kazimierz Zdunek, born in 1712, emerge as a noted figure in Lublin's cultural life. An accomplished ceramic artist whose pieces were traded widely within Poland, Kazimierz's works are part of historical collections in several regional museums today, reflecting the lasting legacy of the Zdunek family in the artistry of ceramics and pottery.
Entering the 19th century, the name Zdunek appeared in immigration records as families sought opportunities abroad. Michał Zdunek, born in 1796, is noted for having migrated to the United States in 1821, part of the larger wave of Polish emigration driven by political unrest. His descendants contributed to local communities, preserving the family name and its meaningful heritage.
Prominently, in the realm of modern scholarship, Zofia Zdunek, born in 1952, became an esteemed historian contributing significantly to Polish historical research. Her works on the medieval period are still referenced today, demonstrating how modern bearers of the surname continue to make impactful contributions in various fields.
Overall, the surname Zdunek is deeply entrenched in Polish artisanal history and culture, finding its origins in the trade of pottery and enduring through centuries of social and historical developments.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zdunek
Among Census respondents with the surname Zdunek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Zdunek 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 Zdunek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 185
- Two or more races4.5% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zdunek
Zdunek 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
#95,545
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 191
+16 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 935 places
2020
#96,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 202
+11 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 1,027 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #96,480 | 175 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #95,545 | 191 | 0.06 | +16 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 935 places |
| 2020 | #96,572 | 202 | 0.07 | +11 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 1,027 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 Zdunek 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 | #95,545 | #96,572 | -1.1% |
| Count | 191 | 202 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zdunek bearers went from 191 to 202 (+5.8% change). The surname moved down 1,027 positions in the national ranking, going from #95,545 to #96,572.
FAQ
Zdunek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zdunek?
Name Census estimates that about 232 living Americans carry the surname Zdunek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,477,389 residents.
How common is Zdunek?
Zdunek ranks #96,572 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 202 people with the surname Zdunek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (232), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Zdunek.
Has Zdunek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zdunek went from 191 recorded bearers to 202. That is an increase of 11 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #95,545 to #96,572.
What does the Census say about the background of Zdunek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zdunek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Zdunek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (185 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zdunek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Zdunek (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 Zdunek mean?
A Polish surname derived from the personal name Zdzierad or Zdzieslaw. 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 Zdunek (0.07 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 Zdunek?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Zdunek on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.