2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bieszk
A Polish/Slavic surname meaning "one who dwells by a river bank or shore."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Bieszk. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bieszk 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Bieszk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bieszk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bieszk
The surname BIESZK has its origins in Poland, with records indicating its use as early as the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "bies," meaning "demon" or "devil." This could suggest that the name may have been a nickname for someone with a fiery or mischievous personality.
One of the earliest known references to the name BIESZK can be found in the "Akta Grodzkie i Ziemskie" (Acts of the Grod and Zemstvo Courts), a collection of legal records from the 15th to 18th centuries in the regions of Krakow and Sandomierz. The name appears in these records with various spellings, such as "Biesczk," "Bieszek," and "Bieszczyk."
In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the BIESZK surname was Jan BIESZK, a landowner and nobleman from the region of Podlasie. He is mentioned in several historical documents related to land disputes and local governance during that time.
Another notable person with the BIESZK surname was Mikołaj BIESZK, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of Gdańsk (Danzig) in the late 17th century. He was involved in the lucrative trade of amber, which was a major industry in that region at the time.
During the 18th century, the BIESZK name can be found in records from the town of Sandomierz, where a family of potters and ceramicists bearing this surname was active. Their work, characterized by intricate designs and skilled craftsmanship, was highly sought after in the local area.
In the 19th century, Józef BIESZK was a notable figure in the field of education. Born in 1812 in the village of Miechów, he dedicated his life to teaching and establishing schools in rural areas, working to provide education opportunities to underprivileged children.
It is worth noting that the BIESZK surname is also sometimes associated with the place name "Bieszkowice," a village in the Silesian region of Poland. This could indicate a possible connection between the surname and a specific location, which was a common practice in the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bieszk
Among Census respondents with the surname Bieszk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bieszk 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 Bieszk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bieszk
Bieszk 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
#120,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
+14 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,413 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-29 bearers (-20.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,594 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,901 | 143 | 0.05 | +14 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 2,413 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-20.3%) | Down 25,594 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 Bieszk 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 | #120,901 | #146,495 | -21.2% |
| Count | 143 | 114 | -20.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bieszk bearers went from 143 to 114 (-20.3% change). The surname moved down 25,594 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,901 to #146,495.
FAQ
Bieszk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bieszk?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Bieszk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Bieszk?
Bieszk ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Bieszk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Bieszk.
Has Bieszk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bieszk went from 143 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 29 (-20.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,901 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Bieszk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bieszk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Bieszk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bieszk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Hispanic (4.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Bieszk (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 Bieszk mean?
A Polish/Slavic surname meaning "one who dwells by a river bank or shore." 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 Bieszk (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 people share the surname Bieszk?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.