2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bonikowski
A Polish surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Boniki.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Bonikowski. 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 Bonikowski 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 Bonikowski 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 Bonikowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bonikowski
The surname Bonikowski is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Polish word "bonio," which means "to strike" or "to beat." This name was likely given to someone who worked as a blacksmith or metalworker, as their profession involved striking metal with a hammer.
The earliest recorded instances of the Bonikowski name can be found in historical records from the Polish region of Masovia. In the 16th century, a document from the town of Płock mentions a blacksmith named Jan Bonikowski. This suggests that the name was already established and associated with the metalworking trade during that time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Bonikowski surname was Stanisław Bonikowski, a Polish nobleman who lived in the 17th century. He served as a military officer and fought in the Polish-Swedish wars of the mid-1600s. Records indicate that he was born in 1620 and died in 1678.
In the 18th century, the Bonikowski name appeared in various historical documents from the region of Greater Poland. One notable figure was Franciszek Bonikowski, a landowner and businessman who lived from 1725 to 1792. He owned several estates and was known for his involvement in the local economy and trade.
Moving into the 19th century, Józef Bonikowski (1811-1889) was a Polish writer and journalist who contributed to the development of Polish literature and journalism. He was a vocal advocate for Polish independence and played an active role in the Polish national movement.
Another prominent figure with the Bonikowski surname was Kazimierz Bonikowski (1860-1933), a Polish architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the Zachęta National Gallery of Art and the Zachęta Palace, which now houses the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Bonikowski name can also be found in historical records from other parts of Poland, such as the regions of Silesia and Pomerania. Over time, variations of the spelling emerged, including Bonikowsky, Bonikowski, and Bonikowicz, reflecting the diverse dialects and regional influences within Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bonikowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonikowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bonikowski 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 Bonikowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 6
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bonikowski
Bonikowski appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-21 bearers (-17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,777 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-17.5%) | Down 16,777 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 Bonikowski 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 | #139,228 | #156,005 | -12.1% |
| Count | 120 | 99 | -17.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bonikowski bearers went from 120 to 99 (-17.5% change). The surname moved down 16,777 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #156,005.
FAQ
Bonikowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bonikowski?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Bonikowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Bonikowski?
Bonikowski 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 Bonikowski. 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 Bonikowski.
Has Bonikowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bonikowski went from 120 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 21 (-17.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Bonikowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonikowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Bonikowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bonikowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (6.1%), Black (2.0%). 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 Bonikowski (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 Bonikowski mean?
A Polish surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Boniki. 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 Bonikowski (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 Americans have the surname Bonikowski?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.