2000
#7,312
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,198
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.56
Rare Last name
Czarnecki
A Polish habitational surname derived from places named Czarnca or Czarnków, meaning "black" or "dark place."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,432 Americans carry the last name Czarnecki. That puts it at #8,206 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,336 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Czarnecki 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Czarnecki with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,336
Census rank
#8,206
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,865 bearers of the surname Czarnecki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8206th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Czarnecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Czarnecki
The surname Czarnecki is of Polish origin, deriving from the word "czarny" meaning "black" or "dark", and the suffix "-ecki" indicating a diminutive form or belonging to someone. It likely originated as a nickname for someone with dark hair or complexion.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 15th century in Poland. It was particularly prevalent in the regions of Greater Poland and Mazovia. Variations in spelling included Czarnecki, Czarniecki, and Czarnietzki.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Stefan Czarniecki, a Polish military commander who lived from 1599 to 1665. He played a significant role in the Swedish-Polish War and is remembered for his victories against the Swedish forces.
Another historical figure with the surname Czarnecki was Jan Czarnecki, a Polish painter and engraver who lived from 1665 to 1726. He is known for his religious artwork and contributions to the Baroque style in Poland.
In the 19th century, Kazimierz Czarnecki (1823-1896) was a prominent Polish lawyer and politician. He served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and was involved in the Polish independence movement.
Józef Czarnecki (1892-1950) was a Polish engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing the first practical water-cooled diesel engine in the 1920s, which had a significant impact on the automotive industry.
The surname Czarnecki has also been associated with places in Poland, such as the village of Czarnecki in the Lublin Voivodeship and the town of Czarnecki in the Podlaskie Voivodeship.
While the name is predominantly Polish, it has been carried by individuals of Polish descent in other countries as well, contributing to its global spread and recognition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Czarnecki
Among Census respondents with the surname Czarnecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Czarnecki 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 Czarnecki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 3,654
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 88
- Two or more races1.9% · 72
- Black or African American0.6% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Czarnecki
Czarnecki 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
#7,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,164
-34 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 635 places
2020
#8,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,865
-299 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 259 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,312 | 4,198 | 1.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,947 | 4,164 | 1.41 | -34 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 635 places |
| 2020 | #8,206 | 3,865 | 1.29 | -299 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 259 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 Czarnecki 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 | #7,947 | #8,206 | -3.3% |
| Count | 4,164 | 3,865 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.29 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Czarnecki bearers went from 4,164 to 3,865 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 259 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,947 to #8,206.
FAQ
Czarnecki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Czarnecki?
Name Census estimates that about 4,432 living Americans carry the surname Czarnecki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,336 residents.
How common is Czarnecki?
Czarnecki ranks #8,206 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,865 people with the surname Czarnecki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,432), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Czarnecki.
Has Czarnecki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Czarnecki went from 4,164 recorded bearers to 3,865. That is a decrease of 299 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,947 to #8,206.
What does the Census say about the background of Czarnecki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Czarnecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Czarnecki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (3,654 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Czarnecki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (2.3%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Czarnecki (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 Czarnecki mean?
A Polish habitational surname derived from places named Czarnca or Czarnków, meaning "black" or "dark place." 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 Czarnecki (1.29 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 Czarnecki?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.