2000
#9,417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,167
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Baranowski
Derived from a place name meaning "of Baranów," referring to towns in Poland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,204 Americans carry the last name Baranowski. That puts it at #10,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,977 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baranowski 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Baranowski with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,977
Census rank
#10,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,794 bearers of the surname Baranowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baranowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baranowski
The surname Baranowski originates from Poland. It is derived from the Polish word 'baran', which means 'ram' or 'sheep'. The surname likely emerged in the medieval period, indicating that the original bearer was a shepherd or worked with sheep in some capacity.
The earliest recorded instances of the Baranowski surname date back to the 16th century in various Polish historical documents and records. One notable example is Jan Baranowski, a Polish nobleman and military commander who lived from 1548 to 1622. He played a significant role in the Polish-Swedish War of 1600-1629.
In the 17th century, the surname appears in the Metryka Koronna, a collection of historical records and documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One entry mentions a Marcin Baranowski, a landowner from the Lublin region, who was involved in a legal dispute over property rights in 1674.
During the 18th century, the Baranowski surname gained prominence in the Polish literary and artistic circles. Franciszek Ksawery Baranowski (1730-1800) was a renowned Polish painter and portraitist, known for his works depicting members of the Polish nobility and clergy.
In the 19th century, the Baranowski surname spread beyond Poland's borders as families emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable figure was Władysław Baranowski (1856-1920), a Polish-American engineer and bridge builder who contributed to the construction of several iconic bridges in the United States, including the Brooklyn Bridge.
Another notable individual was Jan Baranowski (1879-1940), a Polish military officer and diplomat who served as the Polish ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1939. He was arrested and executed by the Soviet authorities during the Katyn Massacre in 1940.
The Baranowski surname continues to be prevalent in Poland and among Polish diaspora communities around the world. It has been borne by numerous individuals throughout history, including writers, artists, scientists, and military figures, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baranowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Baranowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Baranowski 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 Baranowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 2,645
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 69
- Two or more races2.2% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baranowski
Baranowski 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
#10,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,961
-206 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 1,355 places
2020
#10,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,794
-167 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,417 | 3,167 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,772 | 2,961 | 1.00 | -206 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 1,355 places |
| 2020 | #10,894 | 2,794 | 0.93 | -167 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 122 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 Baranowski 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 | #10,772 | #10,894 | -1.1% |
| Count | 2,961 | 2,794 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.93 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baranowski bearers went from 2,961 to 2,794 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 122 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,772 to #10,894.
FAQ
Baranowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baranowski?
Name Census estimates that about 3,204 living Americans carry the surname Baranowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,977 residents.
How common is Baranowski?
Baranowski ranks #10,894 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,794 people with the surname Baranowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,204), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Baranowski.
Has Baranowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baranowski went from 2,961 recorded bearers to 2,794. That is a decrease of 167 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,772 to #10,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Baranowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baranowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Baranowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (2,645 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baranowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Baranowski (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 Baranowski mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "of Baranów," referring to towns in Poland. 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 Baranowski (0.93 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 Baranowski?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Baranowski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.