NameCensus.

UK surname

Szpak

Polish surname derived from the word "szpak" meaning "starling" (a type of bird).

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Logie and Blackness, North Hertfordshire and Lewisham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Szpak is 150 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

2016

150 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Szpak surname distribution map

The map shows where the Szpak surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Szpak surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Szpak over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1911 historical 7 #33,083
1997 modern 33 #34,377
1998 modern 37 #34,149
1999 modern 41 #33,866
2000 modern 42 #33,791
2001 modern 39 #33,923
2002 modern 43 #33,871
2003 modern 40 #34,215
2004 modern 38 #34,555
2005 modern 43 #34,328
2006 modern 60 #33,235
2007 modern 70 #32,580
2008 modern 83 #31,483
2009 modern 99 #29,754
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 124 #26,432
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 145 #24,395
2015 modern 149 #23,817
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Szpaks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Logie and Blackness, North Hertfordshire, Lewisham, Bury and Birmingham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Logie and Blackness Dundee City
2 North Hertfordshire 005 North Hertfordshire
3 Lewisham 002 Lewisham
4 Bury 020 Bury
5 Birmingham 004 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Szpak

These lists show first names that appear often with the Szpak surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Szpak

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Szpak, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Szpak surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Szpak household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Szpak is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Szpak is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Szpak falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Szpak is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Szpak, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Szpak

The surname SZPAK is of Polish origin, derived from the Polish word "szpak" which means "starling" (a species of small bird). This name likely originated as a nickname or occupational name for someone who worked with or had some association with starlings.

The earliest known record of this surname dates back to the 15th century in the region of Mazovia, located in central Poland. It is believed that the name may have initially been spelled as "Szpak" or "Szpakk" before settling on its current spelling.

One of the first documented instances of the SZPAK surname can be found in the Metryka Koronna (Crown Metrica), a collection of Polish historical records from the 15th to the 18th century. In these records, a certain Maciej Szpak is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Wołomin, near Warsaw, in the year 1492.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the SZPAK name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Masovia and Lesser Poland, where several notable individuals bearing this surname lived. One such person was Stanisław Szpak (1540-1612), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Muscovite War and the Polish-Swedish War.

In the 18th century, the SZPAK surname spread further across Poland, with records showing families with this name residing in various towns and villages. One notable figure from this period was Józef Szpak (1728-1801), a Polish priest and writer who authored several religious texts and sermons.

Another prominent individual with the SZPAK surname was Kazimierz Szpak (1868-1941), a Polish painter and art teacher who lived and worked in Krakow during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works are still displayed in several art galleries and museums in Poland.

During the 20th century, the SZPAK name continued to be found across Poland, with several individuals making contributions in various fields. One such person was Władysław Szpak (1914-1995), a Polish writer and journalist who served as the editor-in-chief of several prominent Polish newspapers and magazines.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Szpak surname: questions and answers

How common is the Szpak surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Szpak a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Szpak surname mean?

Polish surname derived from the word "szpak" meaning "starling" (a type of bird).

What does the Szpak map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Szpak bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.