2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cwiak
A Polish surname derived from the word "czuwać" meaning "to stay awake or keep watch."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Cwiak. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cwiak 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Cwiak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cwiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cwiak
The surname "CWIAK" is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "cwiek," which means "nail" or "peg." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a nail maker or a carpenter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to 1389, when a Jakub Cwiak was mentioned in the records of the city of Krakow. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during the late Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various legal documents and municipal records in the areas around Krakow and Poznan. Some of the notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Jan Cwiak, a merchant from Krakow who lived between 1520 and 1585, and Maciej Cwiak, a landowner from the village of Gostyn, who was born around 1560.
By the 17th century, the name had spread to other parts of Poland, with records showing individuals named Cwiak residing in cities like Warsaw and Gdansk. One notable figure from this era was Katarzyna Cwiak, a renowned herbalist and midwife from the town of Bydgoszcz, who lived between 1612 and 1683.
In the 18th century, the Cwiak surname was associated with several prominent figures in Polish history. Franciszek Cwiak (1720-1789) was a respected scholar and professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, while Tomasz Cwiak (1745-1821) was a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Warsaw.
The 19th century saw the name Cwiak continue to be prevalent in various regions of Poland. One notable individual from this period was Józef Cwiak (1835-1892), a renowned painter and artist whose works are displayed in several museums across Poland.
As the name "CWIAK" has its origins in the Polish language and culture, it is not surprising that the earliest recorded instances and most notable historical figures bearing this surname are from Poland. While the name may have spread to other parts of the world through migration, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich history and traditions of Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cwiak
Among Census respondents with the surname Cwiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cwiak 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 Cwiak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cwiak
Cwiak 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,223 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,788 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,223 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 7,788 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 Cwiak 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 | #157,234 | #149,446 | 5.0% |
| Count | 103 | 110 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cwiak bearers went from 103 to 110 (+6.8% change). The surname moved up 7,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #149,446.
FAQ
Cwiak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cwiak?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Cwiak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Cwiak?
Cwiak ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Cwiak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Cwiak.
Has Cwiak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cwiak went from 103 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 7 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Cwiak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cwiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Cwiak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cwiak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Cwiak (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 Cwiak mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "czuwać" meaning "to stay awake or keep watch." 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 Cwiak (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 common is the surname Cwiak?
If you just want to know how many people are called Cwiak, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.