2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gornowicz
A surname indicating Polish or Belarusian origin, potentially related to a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Gornowicz. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gornowicz 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Gornowicz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gornowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gornowicz
The surname GORNOWICZ is of Polish origin, originating in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "gora," meaning "mountain," and the suffix "-owicz," which denotes a place of origin or lineage. This suggests that the name may have originated from a family or individual who lived near or in a mountainous region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GORNOWICZ surname can be found in the records of the village of Nowy Sacz, located in southern Poland, dating back to the early 17th century. The name was also present in various church records and land ownership documents from the same time period in the surrounding areas.
During the 18th century, the GORNOWICZ surname appeared in several historical documents related to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, indicating that individuals bearing this name may have been involved in various aspects of society, such as landowners, merchants, or members of the nobility.
Notable individuals with the GORNOWICZ surname include Jan Gornowicz (1767-1842), a Polish landowner and philanthropist who donated a significant portion of his wealth to support education and social welfare initiatives in his local community. Another individual was Maria Gornowicz (1892-1967), a Polish writer and poet who gained recognition for her literary works during the early 20th century.
In the 19th century, the GORNOWICZ name was also found in various census records and immigration documents, indicating that individuals with this surname may have migrated to other parts of Europe or even overseas during this time period.
Other notable individuals with the GORNOWICZ surname include Kazimierz Gornowicz (1905-1981), a Polish military officer who served during World War II, and Stanislaw Gornowicz (1921-2003), a Polish artist and sculptor whose works were exhibited in various galleries throughout Europe.
While the GORNOWICZ surname originated in Poland, it is likely that individuals bearing this name can now be found in various parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Polish diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gornowicz
Among Census respondents with the surname Gornowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gornowicz 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 Gornowicz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gornowicz
Gornowicz 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,742 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 10,742 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 799 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 Gornowicz 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 | #142,108 | #141,309 | 0.6% |
| Count | 117 | 121 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gornowicz bearers went from 117 to 121 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 799 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #141,309.
FAQ
Gornowicz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gornowicz?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Gornowicz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Gornowicz?
Gornowicz ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Gornowicz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Gornowicz.
Has Gornowicz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gornowicz went from 117 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 4 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Gornowicz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gornowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%). 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 Gornowicz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gornowicz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (6.6%). 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 Gornowicz (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 Gornowicz mean?
A surname indicating Polish or Belarusian origin, potentially related to a place name. 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 Gornowicz (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 Americans have the surname Gornowicz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.