2000
#41,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 489
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Dusza
A surname of Polish origin meaning "soul" or "spirit".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 539 Americans carry the last name Dusza. That puts it at #48,549 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 635,908 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dusza 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
539
1 in 635,908
Census rank
#48,549
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
470
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 470 bearers of the surname Dusza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48549th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dusza, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dusza
The surname Dusza is of Polish origin, and it can be traced back to the late 15th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "dusza," which means "soul" or "spirit." It is believed that the name was originally given to individuals who were considered to have a kind and gentle nature or who were deeply spiritual.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dusza surname can be found in the Metryka Koronna, a collection of official records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth dating back to the 16th century. In these records, there are mentions of individuals with the surname Dusza living in various regions of Poland, such as Krakow and Poznan.
In the 17th century, the Dusza surname appeared in the records of the Polish Nobility, suggesting that some members of the family had achieved a certain level of social status and wealth during that period.
A notable figure with the surname Dusza was Jan Dusza, a Polish philosopher and theologian who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his writings on ethics and his contributions to the development of Polish philosophical thought.
Another prominent individual with the Dusza surname was Franciszek Dusza, a Polish painter and architect who lived during the 18th century. He was known for his works in the Baroque and Rococo styles, and he designed several churches and palaces in Poland.
In the 19th century, the Dusza surname was also found in various regions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly in the areas that are now part of modern-day Poland and Ukraine. This suggests that members of the Dusza family may have migrated or been displaced during this period.
One notable figure from this time was Karol Dusza, a Polish-Ukrainian writer and journalist who was born in 1818 in the city of Lviv, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was known for his works that explored the cultural and political issues of the time.
Another individual with the Dusza surname was Michał Dusza, a Polish military officer who fought in the January Uprising against the Russian Empire in the mid-19th century. He was born in 1832 and played a significant role in the uprising, which aimed to restore Polish independence.
The Dusza surname has also been found in various other European countries, such as Germany, Czech Republic, and Slovakia, likely due to migration and intermarriage between families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dusza
Among Census respondents with the surname Dusza, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dusza 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 Dusza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 432
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 25
- Two or more races1.9% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dusza
Dusza 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
#42,790
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 506
+17 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 931 places
2020
#48,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 470
-36 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 5,759 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #41,859 | 489 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,790 | 506 | 0.17 | +17 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 931 places |
| 2020 | #48,549 | 470 | 0.16 | -36 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 5,759 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 Dusza 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 | #42,790 | #48,549 | -13.5% |
| Count | 506 | 470 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.16 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dusza bearers went from 506 to 470 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 5,759 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,790 to #48,549.
FAQ
Dusza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dusza?
Name Census estimates that about 539 living Americans carry the surname Dusza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 635,908 residents.
How common is Dusza?
Dusza ranks #48,549 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 470 people with the surname Dusza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (539), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Dusza.
Has Dusza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dusza went from 506 recorded bearers to 470. That is a decrease of 36 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #42,790 to #48,549.
What does the Census say about the background of Dusza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dusza, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) 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 Dusza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (432 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dusza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (5.3%), 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 Dusza (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 Dusza mean?
A surname of Polish origin meaning "soul" or "spirit". 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 Dusza (0.16 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 Dusza?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Dusza on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.