2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gnacinski
Of Polish origin, meaning "someone from the Gnacino region."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Gnacinski. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gnacinski 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Gnacinski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gnacinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gnacinski
The surname "GNACINSKI" has its origins in Poland, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Polish word "gnacić," which means "to press" or "to oppress." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a miller or a tradesman involved in pressing or compacting materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Tarnów land records from the late 15th century, where a certain Jan Gnacinski is mentioned. The name was also found in the historical records of the city of Kraków, with a merchant named Mikołaj Gnacinski being listed in the city's tax rolls in the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Gnacinski family played a notable role in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Stanisław Gnacinski (1595-1665) was a renowned military commander who served under King Władysław IV and participated in numerous campaigns against Sweden and Russia.
During the 18th century, the name Gnacinski gained prominence in the region of Masovia, particularly in the town of Czersk. One notable figure from this period was Franciszek Gnacinski (1720-1789), a respected lawyer and landowner who owned several estates in the area.
In the 19th century, the surname was closely associated with the Polish national awakening and the struggle for independence. Karol Gnacinski (1809-1878) was a renowned writer and poet who contributed to the development of Polish literature and patriotic thought.
Another prominent figure was Józef Gnacinski (1847-1919), a renowned architect who designed several landmark buildings in Warsaw, including the Polish Theater and the Warsaw Philharmonic.
While the Gnacinski surname originated in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora. However, it remains most prevalent in its country of origin, where it continues to hold a significant historical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gnacinski
Among Census respondents with the surname Gnacinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gnacinski 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 Gnacinski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gnacinski
Gnacinski 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,106 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,171 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 12,106 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Up 3,171 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 Gnacinski 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 | #145,220 | #142,049 | 2.2% |
| Count | 114 | 120 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gnacinski bearers went from 114 to 120 (+5.3% change). The surname moved up 3,171 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #142,049.
FAQ
Gnacinski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gnacinski?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Gnacinski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Gnacinski?
Gnacinski ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Gnacinski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Gnacinski.
Has Gnacinski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gnacinski went from 114 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 6 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Gnacinski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gnacinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Gnacinski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gnacinski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.3%), Black (1.7%). 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 Gnacinski (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 Gnacinski mean?
Of Polish origin, meaning "someone from the Gnacino region." 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 Gnacinski (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 common is the surname Gnacinski?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Gnacinski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.