2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ciszak
A Polish locational surname derived from the place name Ciszki.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Ciszak. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ciszak 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Ciszak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ciszak, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ciszak
The surname Ciszak has its origins in Poland, with the earliest records of the name dating back to the late 16th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Polish word "cisza," which translates to "quiet" or "silence." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was known for their quiet or reserved demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ciszak surname can be found in the parish records of the village of Strzelce Opolskie in the Opole region of Poland. These records, dating back to the late 1500s, mention a family with the surname Ciszak residing in the area. It is likely that the name originated in this region before spreading to other parts of Poland.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Ciszak name began to appear in various historical documents and records across Poland. For instance, a Polish nobleman named Jan Ciszak was recorded as serving in the military during the Polish-Swedish wars of the mid-17th century. Additionally, a merchant named Marcin Ciszak was listed in the trade records of the city of Krakow in the late 1700s.
As the Ciszak surname gradually spread across Poland, it also underwent some variations in spelling. Some alternative spellings found in historical records include Ciszek, Ciszyk, and Ciszewski. These variations often indicated regional differences or were adopted by different branches of the Ciszak family over time.
Notable individuals with the Ciszak surname throughout history include:
1. Franciszek Ciszak (1865-1942), a Polish priest and political activist who advocated for Polish independence during the partitions of Poland.
2. Bronisław Ciszak (1895-1968), a Polish artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
3. Kazimierz Ciszak (1909-1994), a Polish footballer who played for several clubs in the interwar period, including Cracovia and Warta Poznań.
4. Władysław Ciszak (1921-2008), a Polish military officer who fought in World War II and later served in the Polish People's Army.
5. Krzysztof Ciszak (born 1964), a contemporary Polish actor and theater director, known for his work in both film and television productions.
Overall, the Ciszak surname has a rich history rooted in Poland, with its earliest origins dating back to the late 16th century. While the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname, it has since become a well-established Polish surname with various notable individuals bearing this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ciszak
Among Census respondents with the surname Ciszak, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ciszak 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 Ciszak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ciszak
Ciszak 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,892 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-10 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 8,892 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 11,305 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 Ciszak 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 | #132,206 | #143,511 | -8.6% |
| Count | 128 | 118 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ciszak bearers went from 128 to 118 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 11,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #143,511.
FAQ
Ciszak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ciszak?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Ciszak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Ciszak?
Ciszak ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Ciszak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Ciszak.
Has Ciszak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ciszak went from 128 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Ciszak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ciszak, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Ciszak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ciszak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Ciszak (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 Ciszak mean?
A Polish locational surname derived from the place name Ciszki. 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 Ciszak (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 Ciszak?
You can see how many people have the surname Ciszak on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.