2000
#11,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,401
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Bednarz
A Polish occupational surname referring to a cooper or barrel maker, derived from the Polish word "bednarz".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,709 Americans carry the last name Bednarz. That puts it at #12,526 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bednarz 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 Bednarz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,524
Census rank
#12,526
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,362 bearers of the surname Bednarz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12526th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bednarz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bednarz can be found in Polish parish records and other historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bednarz
Among Census respondents with the surname Bednarz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bednarz 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 Bednarz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 2,242
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 54
- Two or more races1.8% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 15
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bednarz
Bednarz 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
#12,576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,462
+61 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 639 places
2020
#12,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,362
-100 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,937 | 2,401 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,576 | 2,462 | 0.83 | +61 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 639 places |
| 2020 | #12,526 | 2,362 | 0.79 | -100 bearers (-4.1%) | Up 50 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 Bednarz 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 | #12,576 | #12,526 | 0.4% |
| Count | 2,462 | 2,362 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.79 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bednarz bearers went from 2,462 to 2,362 (-4.1% change). The surname moved up 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,576 to #12,526.
FAQ
Bednarz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bednarz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,709 living Americans carry the surname Bednarz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,524 residents.
How common is Bednarz?
Bednarz ranks #12,526 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,362 people with the surname Bednarz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,709), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Bednarz.
Has Bednarz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bednarz went from 2,462 recorded bearers to 2,362. That is a decrease of 100 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,576 to #12,526.
What does the Census say about the background of Bednarz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bednarz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Bednarz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (2,242 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bednarz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (2.3%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Bednarz (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 Bednarz mean?
A Polish occupational surname referring to a cooper or barrel maker, derived from the Polish word "bednarz". 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 Bednarz (0.79 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 Bednarz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.