2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zoltak
Of Polish origin, indicating an association with nobility or aristocracy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Zoltak. 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 Zoltak 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 Zoltak 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 Zoltak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zoltak
The surname Zoltak is believed to have originated in Poland, with its roots tracing back to medieval times. It is derived from the Polish word "złoty," which means "golden" or "gold." The suffix "ak" is a diminutive or a patronymic indicator, commonly used in Slavic languages to denote descent or relation. This name was likely used to identify someone with golden hair or a person of wealth, possibly a goldsmith or someone who dealt with gold.
The regions of Poland where the surname Zoltak first appeared are thought to be around the areas of Lesser Poland (Małopolska) and Greater Poland (Wielkopolska). Evidence of surnames in Poland became more pronounced during the 14th and 15th centuries as the population began adopting family names for better identification. Historical records from this time indicate the usage of various forms of the surname in church registers, legal documents, and property records.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Zoltak dates back to a 15th-century manuscript held in a monastery in Kraków, where a John Zoltak was mentioned as a witness in a land transaction. Variations of the surname appeared in the following centuries, with spellings such as Zoltacz and Zoltakowski indicating the same or related families.
During the late 16th century, another notable individual, Michał Zoltak, served as an officer in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army. His military service was chronicled in a series of letters preserved in the Jagiellonian Library, Kraków, providing valuable insights into the lives and careers of early Zoltak family members.
The 18th century saw the emergence of notable landowners and members of the nobility with the Zoltak surname. Antoni Zoltak, born in 1723, was a prominent figure who managed several estates near Poznań. His contributions to local politics and agriculture were recorded in several regional annals, enhancing the family's reputation and standing.
Another significant historical figure was Janina Zoltak, born in 1882, who became one of the first female educators in Warsaw. Her work in advancing women's education in Poland left a lasting impact and was widely documented in educational reforms of the era.
In the early 20th century, Ignacy Zoltak, born in 1891, became known as a pioneering aviator. His contributions to the development of aviation in Poland were notable, and his exploits were frequently reported in contemporaneous newspapers and journals.
The surname Zoltak has a rich history rooted in Polish heritage, with various influential individuals contributing to its legacy over the centuries. From military service to landownership and education, the Zoltak family has made its mark in different aspects of Polish history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zoltak
Among Census respondents with the surname Zoltak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zoltak 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 Zoltak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 103
- Two or more races7.0% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zoltak
Zoltak 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+3 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,806 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-13 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,551 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 5,806 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 13,551 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 Zoltak 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 | #132,206 | #145,757 | -10.2% |
| Count | 128 | 115 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zoltak bearers went from 128 to 115 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 13,551 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #145,757.
FAQ
Zoltak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zoltak?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Zoltak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Zoltak?
Zoltak 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 Zoltak. 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 Zoltak.
Has Zoltak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zoltak went from 128 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Zoltak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zoltak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Zoltak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zoltak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Two or More Races (7.0%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Zoltak (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 Zoltak mean?
Of Polish origin, indicating an association with nobility or aristocracy. 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 Zoltak (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 Zoltak?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Zoltak on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.