2000
#113,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Czernicki
A Polish surname derived from the word "czarny" meaning black, likely referring to a person's dark complexion or hair color.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Czernicki. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Czernicki 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Czernicki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Czernicki, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Czernicki
The surname Czernicki is of Polish origin, emerging in the late 15th century. It is derived from the Polish word "czarny," meaning "black," combined with the Polish suffix "-icki," indicating belonging or association. This suggests the name may have originated as a descriptive moniker for someone with dark hair or complexion, or perhaps as a locational name related to a place with "black" in its name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Czernicki surname appears in the parish records of the village of Czernicki, situated in the Lublin region of eastern Poland, dating back to the late 1500s. This village likely played a role in the name's genesis, either as a place of origin or residence for early bearers.
Historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries indicate that the Czernicki surname was particularly prevalent among the Polish nobility and gentry, with several notable individuals bearing this name. One such figure was Jan Czernicki (1590-1665), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Smolensk War against Russia.
Another prominent Czernicki was Stanisław Czernicki (1599-1665), a Polish Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Kamieniec Podolski from 1641 until his death. He played a significant role in the defense of Kamieniec Podolski during the Khmelnytsky Uprising.
In the 18th century, Józef Czernicki (1720-1785) was a Polish nobleman and landowner who held significant estates in the Lublin region. He was also a noted patron of the arts and supported the construction of several churches and public buildings.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Władysław Czernicki (1824-1892), a Polish writer and journalist who was actively involved in the Polish independence movement. He published several works of poetry and prose, and his writings played a role in promoting Polish national identity during the partitions of Poland.
Another notable bearer of the Czernicki surname was Tomasz Czernicki (1869-1945), a Polish lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Sejm (Polish parliament) in the early 20th century. He was a strong advocate for Polish independence and played a role in the establishment of the Second Polish Republic after World War I.
While the Czernicki surname has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration patterns. However, its historical origins and connections to Polish nobility and cultural figures remain an integral part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Czernicki
Among Census respondents with the surname Czernicki, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Czernicki 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 Czernicki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 115
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Czernicki
Czernicki 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
#121,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
-1 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 8,071 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-26 bearers (-18.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #113,519 | 143 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #121,590 | 142 | 0.05 | -1 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 8,071 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-18.3%) | Down 23,438 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 Czernicki 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 | #121,590 | #145,028 | -19.3% |
| Count | 142 | 116 | -18.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Czernicki bearers went from 142 to 116 (-18.3% change). The surname moved down 23,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #121,590 to #145,028.
FAQ
Czernicki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Czernicki?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Czernicki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Czernicki?
Czernicki ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Czernicki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Czernicki.
Has Czernicki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Czernicki went from 142 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 26 (-18.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #121,590 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Czernicki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Czernicki, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (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 Czernicki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Czernicki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Two or More Races (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 Czernicki (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 Czernicki mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "czarny" meaning black, likely referring to a person's 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 Czernicki (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 surname Czernicki?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.