2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Goclowski
A Polish surname derived from the place name Gocławki or Gocławice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Goclowski. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goclowski 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Goclowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goclowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.2%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goclowski
The surname Goclowski is of Polish origin and dates back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the village of Goclow (also spelled Goclów or Gocłów) in central Poland, located in the historic region of Małopolska. The name Goclow itself is derived from the old Polish word "gocław," which means "a person from Goclaw."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Goclowski surname can be found in the Polish land records from the 15th century, where a certain Jan Goclowski was mentioned as a landowner in the village of Goclow. This suggests that the surname was already in use by that time and was likely associated with the local gentry or nobility.
In the 16th century, the Goclowski family was known to have ties to the nearby city of Krakow, which was a major cultural and intellectual center of Poland during the Renaissance era. Some historical records from that period mention a scholar and writer named Piotr Goclowski (1520-1583), who was a professor at the prestigious Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
During the 17th century, the Goclowski name gained prominence in the Polish military. One notable figure was Stanisław Goclowski (1612-1679), a distinguished cavalry officer who fought in the Polish-Swedish Wars and was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 18th century, the Goclowski surname was associated with the Polish gentry and landowners in the region of Galicia (now part of modern-day Ukraine and Poland). A prominent figure from this era was Tadeusz Goclowski (1738-1812), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who supported local schools and charities.
As the Polish population spread throughout Europe and beyond, the Goclowski surname traveled with them. In the 19th century, a notable figure was Józef Goclowski (1825-1891), a Polish immigrant to the United States who became a successful businessman and community leader in the city of Chicago.
Throughout its history, the Goclowski surname has been associated with various professions, including academics, military officers, landowners, and entrepreneurs. While the name has evolved slightly in spelling and pronunciation over time, its roots can be traced back to the village of Goclow in central Poland, where the Goclowski lineage first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goclowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Goclowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.2%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Goclowski 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 Goclowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.2% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino11.2% · 12
- Black or African American3.7% · 4
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goclowski
Goclowski appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 6,793 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 Goclowski 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 | #158,432 | #151,639 | 4.3% |
| Count | 102 | 107 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goclowski bearers went from 102 to 107 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 6,793 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #151,639.
FAQ
Goclowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goclowski?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Goclowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Goclowski?
Goclowski ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Goclowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Goclowski.
Has Goclowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goclowski went from 102 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 5 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Goclowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goclowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.2%) and Black (3.7%). 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 Goclowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.2% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goclowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.2%), Hispanic (11.2%), Black (3.7%). 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 Goclowski (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 Goclowski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the place name Gocławki or Gocławice. 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 Goclowski (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 Goclowski?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.