2000
#97,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 173
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Broniszewski
A Polish surname indicating a person's place of origin near a town called Broniszewo.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 161 Americans carry the last name Broniszewski. That puts it at #127,742 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,128,909 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Broniszewski 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
161
1 in 2,128,909
Census rank
#127,742
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
140
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 140 bearers of the surname Broniszewski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 127742nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Broniszewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Broniszewski
The surname Broniszewski originates from Poland, emerging in the late medieval period. It is derived from the Polish word "broń," meaning "weapon" or "arms," combined with the possessive suffix "-owski," indicating "belonging to." This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone who crafted, carried, or was associated with weapons or arms.
Broniszewski can be traced back to the 15th century in historical records from various regions of Poland. Some of the earliest documented instances include entries in the Akta Grodzkie (Castle Court Records) from the towns of Kraków and Sandomierz, dating back to the 1400s and 1500s.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Jan Broniszewski, a Polish nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 16th century. He was mentioned in the Metryka Koronna (Crown Metrica), a collection of official records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Another notable figure was Stanisław Broniszewski (1558-1618), a Polish Catholic priest and theologian who served as the rector of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. His writings on religious subjects were influential during the Counter-Reformation period in Poland.
In the 17th century, the Broniszewski surname was also found in the Grodzisk Wielkopolski region, where it was associated with the village of Broniszewo. This place name likely derived from the same root as the surname, suggesting a connection between the name and a specific location.
During the 18th century, Józef Broniszewski (1722-1799) was a prominent Polish painter and engraver who created religious artwork for churches and nobility. His works can be found in various churches and collections throughout Poland.
Another notable figure was Michał Broniszewski (1802-1865), a Polish writer, journalist, and activist who participated in the November Uprising against Russian imperial rule. He wrote several books and articles advocating for Polish independence and democratic reforms.
Throughout its history, the Broniszewski surname has been associated with various professions, including nobility, clergy, artists, and intellectuals. While the name originated in Poland, it has since spread to other regions due to migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Broniszewski
Among Census respondents with the surname Broniszewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Broniszewski 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 Broniszewski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 127
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
- Two or more races0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Broniszewski
Broniszewski 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
-34 bearers (-19.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 26,412 places
2020
#127,742
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+1 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 3,946 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #97,384 | 173 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | -34 bearers (-19.7%) | Down 26,412 places |
| 2020 | #127,742 | 140 | 0.05 | +1 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 3,946 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 Broniszewski 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 | #123,796 | #127,742 | -3.2% |
| Count | 139 | 140 | 0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Broniszewski bearers went from 139 to 140 (+0.7% change). The surname moved down 3,946 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #127,742.
FAQ
Broniszewski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Broniszewski?
Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the surname Broniszewski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,128,909 residents.
How common is Broniszewski?
Broniszewski ranks #127,742 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 140 people with the surname Broniszewski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (161), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Broniszewski.
Has Broniszewski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Broniszewski went from 139 recorded bearers to 140. That is an increase of 1 (+0.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #127,742.
What does the Census say about the background of Broniszewski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Broniszewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%). 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 Broniszewski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (127 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Broniszewski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (7.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%). 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 Broniszewski (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 Broniszewski mean?
A Polish surname indicating a person's place of origin near a town called Broniszewo. 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 Broniszewski (0.05 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 Broniszewski?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.