2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Greskowiak
A Polish surname derived from the occupational term for a potter or brick maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Greskowiak. 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 Greskowiak 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 Greskowiak 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 Greskowiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greskowiak
The surname Greskowiak is of Polish origin and dates back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Wielkopolska and Kujawsko-Pomorskie, where it was most prevalent. The name is derived from the Polish word "grzaska," which means "a small marsh or swamp," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near or worked in such areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Greskowiak can be found in the parish records of the village of Gniezno, dated around 1520. This entry mentions a certain Jan Greskowiak, who was a landowner and farmer in the area. Another early mention is from the town of Poznan in 1567, where a document refers to a blacksmith named Maciej Greskowiak.
The name Greskowiak has also been found in various historical documents and records throughout the centuries. For example, in the 18th century, there is a record of a nobleman named Stanislaw Greskowiak who served in the Polish army during the reign of King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski.
Notably, several individuals with the surname Greskowiak have made significant contributions in various fields throughout history. One such individual is Jozef Greskowiak (1799-1871), a renowned Polish painter and academic who is best known for his portraits and religious works. Another notable figure is Wladyslaw Greskowiak (1886-1962), a Polish engineer and architect who designed several prominent buildings in Warsaw and other cities.
In the realm of literature, Kazimierz Greskowiak (1901-1978) was a Polish poet and writer who was part of the avant-garde literary movement in the early 20th century. His works explore themes of nature, spirituality, and the human condition.
Another notable individual is Mieczyslaw Greskowiak (1915-2003), who was a distinguished Polish military officer and resistance fighter during World War II. He played a crucial role in the Polish Underground State and was awarded numerous honors for his bravery and service.
It's worth mentioning that the surname Greskowiak can also be found in various spellings and variations, such as Greskowiak, Greszkowiak, and Greszkowski, which further emphasizes its Polish roots and evolution over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greskowiak
Among Census respondents with the surname Greskowiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Greskowiak 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 Greskowiak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 101
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greskowiak
Greskowiak 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-11 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,166 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 107 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 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 20,166 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 107 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 Greskowiak 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 | #151,532 | #151,639 | -0.1% |
| Count | 108 | 107 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greskowiak bearers went from 108 to 107 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #151,639.
FAQ
Greskowiak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greskowiak?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Greskowiak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Greskowiak?
Greskowiak 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 Greskowiak. 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 Greskowiak.
Has Greskowiak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greskowiak went from 108 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Greskowiak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greskowiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Greskowiak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greskowiak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Black (1.9%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Greskowiak (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 Greskowiak mean?
A Polish surname derived from the occupational term for a potter or brick maker. 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 Greskowiak (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 last name Greskowiak?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Greskowiak at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.