2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zrelak
A Slavic surname possibly derived from an occupational name referring to a miller or baker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Zrelak. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zrelak 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Zrelak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zrelak, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zrelak
The surname Zrelak has its origins in Central Europe, particularly in regions that are now part of Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Understanding the etymology of Zrelak requires delving into the Slavic linguistic roots prevalent in these areas. The name likely dates back to the early medieval period, around 10th to 15th centuries, when surnames began to be more systematically recorded in Slavic cultures.
The root of Zrelak appears to be the Slavic word "zrel," meaning "ripe" or "mature." This etymology suggests that the name could have originally referred to someone who was mature or perhaps a wise elder in the community. Another possibility is that it might have been a nickname for someone who worked with ripe fruits or crops, hinting at agricultural connections. Variations in spelling such as Zrelák, with a diacritical mark, can be found in older records, implying that the name underwent several orthographic changes over time.
Historical references to the surname Zrelak are sparse but can be found in old church registers and land deeds. One of the earliest recorded instances is from a 16th-century manuscript from the region of Moravia, part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. This manuscript mentions a Mikulas Zrelák, a landowner, indicating that the name was established among the landed gentry or the free peasantry.
Another prominent individual with the surname was Jan Zrelak, a merchant in the late 17th century in what is now Bratislava, Slovakia. His contribution to local trade and frequent mentions in municipal records of the time help provide a clearer picture of the socioeconomic status of people bearing this surname.
In the late 18th century, Ondrej Zrelak, a noted scholar and cleric in what was then the Austrian Empire, contributed to theological writings and is documented in ecclesiastical archives. Ondrej Zrelak's adoption of the name demonstrates that it was also present in intellectual and clerical circles.
The 19th-century agrarian landscape of Slovakia featured another notable figure, Martin Zrelak. A farmer and community leader, Martin's involvement in local politics and social reforms is recorded in various public records and personal letters from that period. His leadership during regional uprisings in the 1840s is particularly well documented.
Lastly, the 20th century saw the emergence of Jozef Zrelak, born in 1921, who became a noted figure in Slovak resistance during World War II. His involvement in the Slovak National Uprising of 1944 is detailed in numerous historical accounts, highlighting the bravery and leadership associated with the Zrelak name.
The surname Zrelak thus carries a rich history, reflected through its agricultural, scholarly, and leadership implications over several centuries. The evolution of the name and its bearers showcases a significant footprint in the socio-cultural landscape of Central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zrelak
Among Census respondents with the surname Zrelak, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Zrelak 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 Zrelak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zrelak
Zrelak 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+12 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,396 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-14 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 1,396 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 14,464 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 Zrelak 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 | #129,047 | #143,511 | -11.2% |
| Count | 132 | 118 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zrelak bearers went from 132 to 118 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 14,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #143,511.
FAQ
Zrelak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zrelak?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Zrelak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Zrelak?
Zrelak ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Zrelak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Zrelak.
Has Zrelak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zrelak went from 132 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Zrelak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zrelak, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Zrelak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zrelak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Zrelak (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 Zrelak mean?
A Slavic surname possibly derived from an occupational name referring to a miller or baker. 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 Zrelak (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 Zrelak?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Zrelak at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.