2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ciarkowski
A Polish surname derived from a nickname relating to a dark complexion or hair color.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Ciarkowski. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ciarkowski 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Ciarkowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ciarkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ciarkowski
The surname CIARKOWSKI is of Polish origin, derived from the Polish word "ciar," meaning "to endure" or "to suffer," and the suffix "-kowski," which is a patronymic indicating descent or relation. It likely originated in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period.
The name is believed to have originated in the regions of central Poland, particularly in the areas around Warsaw and Krakow. It may have been used to describe someone who was known for their endurance or resilience in the face of hardship.
While there are no definitive historical records of the name's earliest usage, it is possible that it appeared in Polish parish records or court documents from the 16th or 17th centuries. However, no specific references to the name in notable manuscripts or records have been found.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CIARKOWSKI surname is Jan CIARKOWSKI, born around 1650 in the village of Krasne, near Warsaw. Another early example is Katarzyna CIARKOWSKA, born in 1675 in the town of Lublin.
In the 19th century, a notable figure bearing the CIARKOWSKI name was Józef CIARKOWSKI (1826-1898), a Polish poet and novelist who was active during the period of Positivism in Polish literature.
Another individual of note was Marcin CIARKOWSKI (1880-1945), a Polish military officer who served in World War I and later became a member of the Polish underground resistance during World War II.
In the 20th century, Zygmunt CIARKOWSKI (1909-1992) was a prominent Polish architect who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the Palace of Culture and Science.
Anna CIARKOWSKA (1920-2008) was a Polish actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and theater productions throughout her career.
More recently, Tomasz CIARKOWSKI (born 1962) is a contemporary Polish author and journalist who has written several novels and works of non-fiction.
While the CIARKOWSKI surname is primarily associated with Poland, it has also spread to other countries through immigration and migration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ciarkowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Ciarkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ciarkowski 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 Ciarkowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ciarkowski
Ciarkowski 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,489 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,846 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 12,489 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 5,846 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 Ciarkowski 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 | #142,108 | #147,954 | -4.1% |
| Count | 117 | 112 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ciarkowski bearers went from 117 to 112 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 5,846 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #147,954.
FAQ
Ciarkowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ciarkowski?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Ciarkowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Ciarkowski?
Ciarkowski ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Ciarkowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Ciarkowski.
Has Ciarkowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ciarkowski went from 117 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Ciarkowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ciarkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (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 Ciarkowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ciarkowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (1.8%), Black (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 Ciarkowski (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 Ciarkowski mean?
A Polish surname derived from a nickname relating to a dark complexion or hair color. 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 Ciarkowski (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 have the last name Ciarkowski?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Ciarkowski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.