2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Chorzempa
A surname of Polish origin likely derived from a topographic name related to a swampy or marshy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Chorzempa. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chorzempa 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Chorzempa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chorzempa, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chorzempa
The surname Chorzempa has its origins in Poland, dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Polish word "chor," which means "sick" or "ill," and the suffix "-empa," indicating a person's occupation or characteristic. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was frequently ill or worked as a caretaker of the sick.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chorzempa can be found in the historical records of the town of Krakow, where a certain Jan Chorzempa was mentioned in a document from 1472. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the Chorzempa family appeared to have spread to other parts of Poland, with records indicating their presence in the towns of Poznan and Lublin. During this time, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Chorzempka and Chorzympa.
A notable figure bearing the Chorzempa surname was Marcin Chorzempa, a Polish nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his involvement in local politics and his efforts to promote education in his region.
Another historical figure of note was Katarzyna Chorzempa, a nun and educator who lived in the 17th century. She played a significant role in the establishment of a convent school in the town of Sandomierz, where she taught young women from noble families.
In the 18th century, the name Chorzempa gained some prominence in the field of medicine. Franciszek Chorzempa, born in 1734, was a renowned physician and author who wrote several influential treatises on various medical topics.
The 19th century saw the Chorzempa family continue to spread across Poland, with records indicating their presence in cities such as Warsaw and Krakow. During this period, the name was sometimes anglicized to variants like "Chorzemp" or "Chorzempski" by those who immigrated to other countries.
One notable figure from this era was Stanislaw Chorzempa, a Polish engineer and inventor born in 1841. He was responsible for several innovations in the field of steam engine design and played a crucial role in the industrialization of his homeland.
While the Chorzempa name has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the history and origins of this surname remain firmly rooted in the rich cultural tapestry of the Polish nation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chorzempa
Among Census respondents with the surname Chorzempa, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Chorzempa 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 Chorzempa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 113
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chorzempa
Chorzempa 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-13 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,055 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-11 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,628 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 18,055 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 11,628 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 Chorzempa 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 | #135,593 | #147,221 | -8.6% |
| Count | 124 | 113 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chorzempa bearers went from 124 to 113 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 11,628 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #147,221.
FAQ
Chorzempa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chorzempa?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Chorzempa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Chorzempa?
Chorzempa ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Chorzempa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Chorzempa.
Has Chorzempa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chorzempa went from 124 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Chorzempa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chorzempa, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Chorzempa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chorzempa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Chorzempa (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 Chorzempa mean?
A surname of Polish origin likely derived from a topographic name related to a swampy or marshy area. 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 Chorzempa (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 are called Chorzempa?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Chorzempa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.