2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Figlar
A Polish surname likely derived from the word "figiel" meaning prank or trick.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Figlar. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Figlar 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Figlar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Figlar, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Figlar
The surname FIGLAR originated in Poland. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "figlar," which means "jester" or "prankster." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who had a humorous or playful personality in the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FIGLAR surname dates back to the 15th century in the region of Lesser Poland (Małopolska). It appeared in a document from the town of Kraków, where a man named Jan Figlar was mentioned as a resident.
In the 16th century, the FIGLAR name was found in various historical records across different parts of Poland, including the cities of Poznań and Gdańsk. This indicates that the name had spread to other areas of the country by that time.
During the 17th century, a notable figure with the FIGLAR surname was Andrzej Figlar (1590-1665), a Polish poet and writer who was known for his satirical works and contributions to the development of Polish literature.
In the 18th century, the FIGLAR name appeared in the records of the village of Stary Sącz in the Małopolska region. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname from that area was Wojciech Figlar, who was born in 1712.
Another prominent person with the FIGLAR surname was Józef Figlar (1820-1885), a Polish painter and art educator who lived in the 19th century. He is remembered for his landscape paintings and his work as a professor at the School of Fine Arts in Kraków.
Throughout history, the FIGLAR surname has also been associated with various place names in Poland, such as the village of Figlary in the Lublin Voivodeship, which likely derived its name from the surname itself.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Figlar
Among Census respondents with the surname Figlar, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Figlar 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 Figlar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Figlar
Figlar 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+6 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,290 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 3,290 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 9,168 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 Figlar 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 | #137,327 | #146,495 | -6.7% |
| Count | 122 | 114 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Figlar bearers went from 122 to 114 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 9,168 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #146,495.
FAQ
Figlar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Figlar?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Figlar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Figlar?
Figlar ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Figlar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Figlar.
Has Figlar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Figlar went from 122 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Figlar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Figlar, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Figlar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Figlar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Figlar (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 Figlar mean?
A Polish surname likely derived from the word "figiel" meaning prank or trick. 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 Figlar (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 last name Figlar?
You can see how many people are called Figlar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.