2000
#95,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 177
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Gierczak
A Polish surname possibly derived from the word "gierka", meaning a game or trick.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 206 Americans carry the last name Gierczak. That puts it at #105,671 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,663,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gierczak 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
206
1 in 1,663,856
Census rank
#105,671
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
180
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 180 bearers of the surname Gierczak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 105671st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gierczak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gierczak
The surname GIERCZAK is of Polish origin, originating in the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "gierka," meaning "child" or "little one." The name likely referred to someone who was small in stature or perhaps the youngest child in a family.
GIERCZAK is believed to have originated in the region of Silesia, which was historically part of Poland but is now divided between Poland and the Czech Republic. Some of the earliest records of the name can be found in parish records and census documents from towns and villages in this area.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname GIERCZAK was Jan Gierczak, born around 1620 in the village of Kluczbork, Silesia. He was a farmer and is mentioned in local tax records from the mid-17th century.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was Andrzej Gierczak (1827-1892), a Polish writer and poet from the city of Kraków. He published several collections of poetry and prose during his lifetime and was known for his patriotic themes and support for Polish independence.
Another individual of note was Maria Gierczak (1867-1945), a Polish educator and women's rights activist. She founded several schools for girls in the Galicia region of what was then Austria-Hungary and campaigned for equal educational opportunities for women.
During the early 20th century, Stanisław Gierczak (1887-1973) was a Polish military officer who fought in both World Wars. He rose to the rank of General in the Polish Army and was awarded several medals for his service.
The name GIERCZAK has also been found in historical records from other Slavic countries, such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, suggesting that individuals with this surname may have migrated or had ancestors from the Silesian region.
While not a particularly common surname, GIERCZAK has a long history in Poland and neighboring regions, with its origins dating back to the 16th century and referring to a "little one" or youngest child in a family.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gierczak
Among Census respondents with the surname Gierczak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gierczak 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 Gierczak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 9
- Two or more races4.4% · 8
- Black or African American1.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gierczak
Gierczak 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
#96,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 189
+12 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 801 places
2020
#105,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 180
-9 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 9,303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #95,567 | 177 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #96,368 | 189 | 0.06 | +12 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 801 places |
| 2020 | #105,671 | 180 | 0.06 | -9 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 9,303 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 Gierczak 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 | #96,368 | #105,671 | -9.7% |
| Count | 189 | 180 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gierczak bearers went from 189 to 180 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 9,303 positions in the national ranking, going from #96,368 to #105,671.
FAQ
Gierczak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gierczak?
Name Census estimates that about 206 living Americans carry the surname Gierczak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,663,856 residents.
How common is Gierczak?
Gierczak ranks #105,671 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 180 people with the surname Gierczak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (206), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Gierczak.
Has Gierczak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gierczak went from 189 recorded bearers to 180. That is a decrease of 9 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #96,368 to #105,671.
What does the Census say about the background of Gierczak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gierczak, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Gierczak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (161 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gierczak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Gierczak (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 Gierczak mean?
A Polish surname possibly derived from the word "gierka", meaning a game 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 Gierczak (0.06 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 Gierczak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.