2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Betlejewski
A Polish surname derived from the place name Betlejem, referring to Bethlehem.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Betlejewski. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Betlejewski 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Betlejewski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Betlejewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Betlejewski
The surname Betlejewski is of Polish origin and dates back to at least the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "betlej," which means "Bethlehem," and likely refers to someone who either lived near a place called Bethlehem or had some association with the town. The "-ewski" suffix is a common Polish surname ending indicating a place of origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Betlejewski name can be found in the records of the Polish town of Grodzisk Wielkopolski from the late 16th century. These records mention a Jakub Betlejewski, who was a landowner and local official in the area.
In the 17th century, the Betlejewski name appears in various church records and tax rolls in the regions of Greater Poland and Silesia. This suggests that the name was well-established in these areas during this time period.
The Betlejewski surname is also linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Jan Betlejewski, a Polish nobleman and military commander who lived in the late 17th century and fought in the Polish-Ottoman Wars.
Another prominent Betlejewski was Franciszek Betlejewski, a Polish writer and journalist who lived from 1818 to 1892. He was a prolific author and published numerous works on history, literature, and political theory.
In the 19th century, the Betlejewski name can be found in records from the town of Kalisz, where a Józef Betlejewski was a respected physician and community leader.
Other notable individuals with the Betlejewski surname include Stanisław Betlejewski, a Polish engineer and inventor who lived from 1856 to 1941, and Maria Betlejewska, a Polish actress and theater director who was active in the early 20th century.
While the Betlejewski name is most commonly associated with Poland, it has also been found in other parts of Eastern Europe, particularly in areas with significant Polish populations or historical ties to Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Betlejewski
Among Census respondents with the surname Betlejewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Betlejewski 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 Betlejewski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 96
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Betlejewski
Betlejewski 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,775 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-16 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,864 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 12,775 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 11,864 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 Betlejewski 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 | #144,141 | #156,005 | -8.2% |
| Count | 115 | 99 | -13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Betlejewski bearers went from 115 to 99 (-13.9% change). The surname moved down 11,864 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #156,005.
FAQ
Betlejewski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Betlejewski?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Betlejewski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Betlejewski?
Betlejewski ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Betlejewski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Betlejewski.
Has Betlejewski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Betlejewski went from 115 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Betlejewski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Betlejewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Betlejewski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Betlejewski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Betlejewski (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 Betlejewski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the place name Betlejem, referring to Bethlehem. 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 Betlejewski (0.03 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 have the last name Betlejewski?
You can see how many people have the surname Betlejewski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.