2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Barowsky
An East European topographic surname referring to someone from a marshy or swampy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Barowsky. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barowsky 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Barowsky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barowsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barowsky
The surname Barowsky is of Eastern European origin, specifically from Poland and parts of Russia. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "bar" meaning "swamp" or "marsh", combined with the suffix "-owski" denoting a place of origin or belonging. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near or originated from marshy or swampy areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Barowsky surname can be traced back to the 16th century in historical records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The name appeared in various forms, such as "Barowski" and "Barowsky", reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
In the 17th century, a notable Barowsky was Jan Barowsky, a Polish nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the Polish-Muscovite War of 1654-1667. He was born around 1620 and died in the late 1600s, leaving behind a legacy of military service and leadership.
Another historical figure with the Barowsky surname was Mikhail Barowsky, a Russian writer and philosopher who lived in the late 18th century. He was known for his works exploring metaphysical and existential themes, and his writings influenced several intellectual circles of his time.
During the 19th century, the Barowsky name gained prominence in various fields. Stanislaw Barowsky, born in 1825 in Warsaw, was a renowned Polish artist who specialized in landscape paintings, capturing the beauty of his homeland's natural scenery.
In the field of music, Anatoly Barowsky, born in 1869 in St. Petersburg, Russia, was a celebrated composer and conductor. He is remembered for his compositions that blended classical and folk influences, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of his time.
As the Barowsky surname spread throughout Eastern Europe and beyond, it continued to be associated with notable individuals in various professions, from academia to the arts and beyond. The name's roots in the Polish and Russian lands have left an indelible mark on its history and legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barowsky
Among Census respondents with the surname Barowsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Barowsky 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 Barowsky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barowsky
Barowsky 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+25 bearers (+23.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,298 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-14 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,418 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +25 bearers (+23.8%) | Up 14,298 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 14,418 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 Barowsky 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 | #130,610 | #145,028 | -11.0% |
| Count | 130 | 116 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barowsky bearers went from 130 to 116 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 14,418 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #145,028.
FAQ
Barowsky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barowsky?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Barowsky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Barowsky?
Barowsky ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Barowsky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Barowsky.
Has Barowsky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barowsky went from 130 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Barowsky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barowsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Barowsky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barowsky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (4.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Barowsky (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 Barowsky mean?
An East European topographic surname referring to someone from a marshy or swampy area. 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 Barowsky (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 Americans have the surname Barowsky?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.