Bartkowski
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive form of the given name Bartolomiej (Bartholomew).
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 686 Americans carry the last name Bartkowski. That puts it at #37,544 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 499,642 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bartkowski surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
686
1 in 499,642
Census rank
#37,544
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
593
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 593 bearers of the surname Bartkowski in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37544th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bartkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bartkowski
The surname Bartkowski originates from Poland, where it has been in use since at least the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish personal name Bartek, which is a diminutive form of the name Bartlomiej, the Polish version of the name Bartholomew. The suffix "-owski" is a common Polish patronymic, meaning "son of."
Bartkowski is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the region of Greater Poland (Wielkopolska), particularly in the areas around the cities of Poznan and Gniezno. It may have been used as an identifying name for the sons or descendants of a man named Bartek or Bartlomiej.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bartkowski can be found in church records and tax registers from the 16th and 17th centuries in various towns and villages across Greater Poland. For example, a record from 1598 mentions a Maciej Bartkowski residing in the village of Nowa Wies, near Poznan.
In the 18th century, the Bartkowski surname began to spread more widely across other regions of Poland, as families migrated or relocated for various reasons. Notable individuals with this surname from this period include Jan Bartkowski (1720-1789), a Catholic priest and theologian from the town of Plock, and Marcin Bartkowski (1742-1810), a landowner and soldier from the Kalisz region.
As the surname continued to be passed down through generations, it also made its way into other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with significant Polish populations or communities. For instance, in the 19th century, there were Bartkowski families living in parts of Germany, such as Silesia, as well as in parts of the Russian Empire, including present-day Ukraine and Belarus.
Other notable individuals with the Bartkowski surname throughout history include:
1. Wladyslaw Bartkowski (1855-1910), a Polish painter and art teacher from Warsaw.
2. Jozef Bartkowski (1876-1940), a Polish politician and member of the Sejm (parliament) in the interwar period.
3. Ewa Bartkowski (1914-2008), a Polish actress and theater director who performed in both Poland and the United States.
4. Henryk Bartkowski (1924-2006), a Polish-American mathematician and professor at Purdue University.
5. Franciszek Bartkowski (1936-2022), a Polish Catholic bishop and former auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Lublin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bartkowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Bartkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bartkowski bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Bartkowski surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9%
- Hispanic or Latino3.4%
- Two or more races1.4%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Bartkowski surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #37,544 | #37,544 | 0.0% |
| Count | 593 | 593 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Bartkowski bearers went from 593 to 593 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #37,544 to #37,544.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bartkowski
FAQ
Bartkowski surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Bartkowski?
The surname Bartkowski holds position #37,544 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 686 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Bartkowski surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bartkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.