Find out how popular the last name Bednarz is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bednarz.

Bednarz, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bednarz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bednarz in America

Bednarz is the 12576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bednarz surname appeared 2,462 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bednarz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bednarz to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bednarz

The surname Bednarz has its origins in Poland and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Polish word "bednarz," which means "cooper" or "barrel maker." The name likely originated as an occupational surname, given to those who made or repaired barrels, casks, and other wooden vessels for storing liquids.

In the Middle Ages, coopering was an essential trade, and the surname Bednarz would have been adopted by families engaged in this profession. As surnames became hereditary, it passed down from generation to generation, even as family members pursued other occupations.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bednarz can be found in Polish parish records and other historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries. For example, a man named Jakub Bednarz is mentioned in a 1564 record from the town of Krakow.

The name has also been found in various forms and spellings, such as Bednarski, Bednarczyk, and Bednarczuk, reflecting regional variations and linguistic changes over time. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the geographical location or local dialects of different areas within Poland.

One notable bearer of the Bednarz surname was Stanisław Bednarz, a Polish military officer and politician who lived from 1852 to 1939. He served in the Russian Imperial Army and later played a role in the formation of the Polish Legions during World War I.

Another individual of note was Kazimierz Bednarz, a Polish painter and graphic artist who lived from 1893 to 1975. He is known for his landscapes, portraits, and book illustrations, and his works are held in various museums and private collections.

In the 19th century, a Polish-American engineer named Jan Bednarz made significant contributions to the development of the railroad industry in the United States. He was born in 1836 and worked on numerous railroad projects, including the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad.

Additionally, there was a Polish philosopher and logician named Józef Bednarz, who lived from 1904 to 1987. He was a professor at the University of Warsaw and made important contributions to the field of mathematical logic and the foundations of mathematics.

Finally, Zygmunt Bednarz was a Polish chess master and author who lived from 1888 to 1972. He was a strong player in the early 20th century and wrote several books on chess theory and strategy, contributing to the development of the game in Poland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bednarz

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bednarz.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bednarz was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bednarz has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bednarz was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bednarz, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!