2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bobrowsky
A surname of Eastern European origin derived from the word for "beaver".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Bobrowsky. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bobrowsky 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Bobrowsky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobrowsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bobrowsky
The surname Bobrowsky is of Polish origin, derived from the town of Bobrowo in the Masovian Voivodeship of central Poland. It is believed to have emerged in the late 15th century or early 16th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "bobr," meaning "beaver," suggesting that the earliest bearers of the name may have been associated with beaver hunting or trapping.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 1555 tax registers of the town of Bobrowo, where a certain Jakub Bobrowsky is listed as a landowner. In the 17th century, the name appears in various historical documents, such as the 1634 census of the Płock Voivodeship, which mentions a Stanisław Bobrowsky among the local nobility.
During the 18th century, the Bobrowsky family gained prominence in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Renowned members of the family include Jan Bobrowsky (1715-1790), a prominent military commander who fought in the Polish-Russian wars, and Andrzej Bobrowsky (1762-1832), a renowned poet and playwright who contributed to the development of Polish Romantic literature.
In the 19th century, the name Bobrowsky spread beyond Poland's borders as members of the family migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond. Notable bearers of the name from this period include Mikhail Bobrowsky (1804-1871), a Russian explorer and cartographer who mapped vast areas of Central Asia, and Władysław Bobrowsky (1836-1909), a Polish-born engineer who played a key role in the construction of the Panama Canal.
As the 20th century dawned, the Bobrowsky name continued to be well-represented in various fields. One prominent figure was Ignacy Bobrowsky (1890-1956), a Polish military officer who fought in both World War I and World War II, earning numerous decorations for his service. Another notable individual was Stefania Bobrowsky (1923-2002), a celebrated Polish sculptor whose works were exhibited in galleries around the world.
While the name Bobrowsky has its roots in a small Polish town, it has since spread far and wide, carried by individuals who have made their mark in various fields throughout history. From military leaders and artists to explorers and engineers, the Bobrowsky name has left an indelible imprint on the annals of time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bobrowsky
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobrowsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bobrowsky 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 Bobrowsky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino12.1% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bobrowsky
Bobrowsky 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+18 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,791 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,724 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 8,791 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 6,724 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 Bobrowsky 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 | #138,304 | #145,028 | -4.9% |
| Count | 121 | 116 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bobrowsky bearers went from 121 to 116 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 6,724 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #145,028.
FAQ
Bobrowsky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bobrowsky?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Bobrowsky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Bobrowsky?
Bobrowsky ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Bobrowsky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Bobrowsky.
Has Bobrowsky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bobrowsky went from 121 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Bobrowsky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobrowsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). 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 Bobrowsky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bobrowsky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Hispanic (12.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). 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 Bobrowsky (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 Bobrowsky mean?
A surname of Eastern European origin derived from the word for "beaver". 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 Bobrowsky (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 Americans have the surname Bobrowsky?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.