2000
#98,298
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Gorlewski
A Polish surname derived from a place name, possibly Górły or Gorlice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 183 Americans carry the last name Gorlewski. That puts it at #115,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,872,975 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gorlewski 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
183
1 in 1,872,975
Census rank
#115,686
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
160
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 160 bearers of the surname Gorlewski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 115686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorlewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gorlewski
The surname Gorlewski is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Gorle, located in the Lesser Poland region (present-day Małopolskie Voivodeship). The name is derived from the Polish word "gora," meaning "mountain," and the suffix "-lewski," which is a common Polish patronymic indicating a place of origin or ancestry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gorlewski surname can be found in the Polish Nobility Records from the late 16th century. These records documented the noble families and their coats of arms, indicating that the Gorlewski family held a position of prominence during that era.
In the 17th century, the Gorlewski name appeared in various documents and manuscripts, particularly those related to land ownership and legal transactions in the Lesser Poland region. This suggests that the family had established itself as landowners and played an important role in the local community.
Notable individuals bearing the Gorlewski surname include Stanisław Gorlewski (1597-1672), a Polish nobleman and military leader who fought in the Polish-Swedish Wars of the mid-17th century. Another prominent figure was Jadwiga Gorlewski (1732-1798), a renowned scholar and educator who contributed significantly to the development of educational institutions in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
During the 18th century, the Gorlewski family expanded its presence beyond Lesser Poland. Records show members of the family residing in other regions of Poland, such as Masovia and Greater Poland. This dispersal of the family likely contributed to the further spread and recognition of the Gorlewski surname.
In the 19th century, Franciszek Gorlewski (1818-1892) gained recognition as a influential writer and journalist, whose works played a vital role in shaping public discourse during the period of Polish partitions. Another notable figure was Wacław Gorlewski (1856-1923), a prominent architect who designed numerous iconic buildings in Warsaw and other Polish cities.
As the Gorlewski surname continued to spread throughout Poland, it also found its way into other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by individuals who emigrated or relocated for various reasons. This further diversified the geographical distribution of the name, while preserving its Polish origins and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gorlewski
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorlewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Gorlewski 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 Gorlewski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 160
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gorlewski
Gorlewski 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
#105,079
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170
-1 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 6,781 places
2020
#115,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
-10 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 10,607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #98,298 | 171 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #105,079 | 170 | 0.06 | -1 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 6,781 places |
| 2020 | #115,686 | 160 | 0.05 | -10 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 10,607 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 Gorlewski 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 | #105,079 | #115,686 | -10.1% |
| Count | 170 | 160 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gorlewski bearers went from 170 to 160 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 10,607 positions in the national ranking, going from #105,079 to #115,686.
FAQ
Gorlewski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gorlewski?
Name Census estimates that about 183 living Americans carry the surname Gorlewski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,872,975 residents.
How common is Gorlewski?
Gorlewski ranks #115,686 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 160 people with the surname Gorlewski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (183), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Gorlewski.
Has Gorlewski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gorlewski went from 170 recorded bearers to 160. That is a decrease of 10 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #105,079 to #115,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Gorlewski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorlewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Gorlewski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (160 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gorlewski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Gorlewski (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 Gorlewski mean?
A Polish surname derived from a place name, possibly Górły or Gorlice. 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 Gorlewski (0.05 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 Gorlewski?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Gorlewski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.