2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gromaski
A Polish surname derived from the Polish word "grom" meaning thunder or lightning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Gromaski. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gromaski 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Gromaski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gromaski, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gromaski
The surname Gromaski is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century in the region of Wielkopolska, situated in what is now west-central Poland. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "grom," which means "thunder" or "thunderbolt." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname or occupational surname associated with someone who worked with or was skilled in handling thunderstorms or lightning-related activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gromaski can be found in the parish records of the town of Kościan, located in Wielkopolska, dating back to the late 1500s. These records mention a family by the name of Gromaski residing in the area during that time period.
In the 17th century, the Gromaski surname appeared in several historical documents and records from the Prussian region, which was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. These documents indicate that members of the Gromaski family had settled in cities such as Gdańsk (Danzig) and Toruń (Thorn), where they pursued various trades and occupations.
One notable individual bearing the Gromaski surname was Jan Gromaski (1655-1721), a Polish-Lithuanian military officer who served in the army of King Jan III Sobieski. He participated in several battles against the Ottoman Empire, including the famous Battle of Vienna in 1683.
Another historical figure was Franciszek Gromaski (1725-1792), a Polish nobleman and landowner who owned estates in the Podlasie region of eastern Poland. He was known for his involvement in local politics and his advocacy for the rights of the Polish gentry.
In the 19th century, the Gromaski name appeared in various records and documents from the Russian Empire, as parts of former Polish territories had been annexed by Russia. One notable individual from this period was Stanisław Gromaski (1820-1887), a Polish writer and journalist who contributed to several prominent Polish-language publications of the time.
Moving into the 20th century, Józef Gromaski (1902-1976) was a Polish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of aerospace engineering. He was involved in the development of early rocket and missile technology in Poland.
Throughout its history, the Gromaski surname has also been associated with various place names and locations in Poland, such as the village of Gromadzki near the city of Poznań, and the town of Gromadzyn in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gromaski
Among Census respondents with the surname Gromaski, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gromaski 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 Gromaski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 99
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gromaski
Gromaski 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,607 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,607 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,540 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 Gromaski 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 | #149,395 | #150,935 | -1.0% |
| Count | 110 | 108 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gromaski bearers went from 110 to 108 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,540 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #150,935.
FAQ
Gromaski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gromaski?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Gromaski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Gromaski?
Gromaski ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Gromaski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Gromaski.
Has Gromaski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gromaski went from 110 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Gromaski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gromaski, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (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 Gromaski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gromaski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Black (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 Gromaski (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 Gromaski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the Polish word "grom" meaning thunder or lightning. 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 Gromaski (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 are called Gromaski?
Want to know how many people are called Gromaski? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.