2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gwara
A Polish surname potentially derived from regional or dialectal terminology.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Gwara. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gwara 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Gwara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwara, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gwara
The surname "GWARA" is believed to have originated in Poland, dating back to the 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Polish word "gwara," meaning "dialect" or "local speech." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who spoke in a distinct regional accent or dialect.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a document from the town of Krakow in 1487, referring to a person named "Jan Gwara." It is possible that this individual was a resident of the area and earned the surname due to their distinctive way of speaking.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the spelling can be found in various historical records, such as "Gvara," "Gwarra," and "Gwarah." These slight differences in spelling were common during that time period and often reflected regional variations in pronunciation or the preference of the scribe recording the name.
In the 18th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Poland, as well as to neighboring countries like Ukraine and Belarus. This could be attributed to migration patterns or the establishment of new settlements by individuals bearing the surname.
One notable figure with the surname "GWARA" was Jakub Gwara, a Polish poet and playwright who lived from 1712 to 1789. His works were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and are still studied today as examples of Polish literary heritage.
Another individual of note was Maryna Gwara, a Belarusian artist and painter who lived from 1868 to 1943. Her landscape paintings and portraits captured the beauty of the Belarusian countryside and its people, and her works are held in several museums across Eastern Europe.
In the 19th century, the name can be found in various church records and census documents throughout Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus, indicating its continued presence in those regions.
One example is Stanisław Gwara, a Polish educator and author born in 1842, who wrote several books on teaching methods and educational philosophy. His works were influential in shaping the educational system in Poland during the late 19th century.
Towards the end of the 19th century and into the early 20th century, individuals with the surname "GWARA" began to migrate to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. This was likely due to economic opportunities or political unrest in their home countries.
An example from this time period is Tomasz Gwara, a Polish-American engineer who lived from 1875 to 1952. He made significant contributions to the development of early aviation technology and was involved in the design of several pioneering aircraft.
Overall, the surname "GWARA" has a rich history rooted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of Eastern Europe, particularly Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. While its exact origins may be shrouded in the mists of time, the name has persisted through the centuries and has been carried by individuals who have made their mark in various fields, from literature and art to education and engineering.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gwara
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwara, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gwara 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 Gwara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 95
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gwara
Gwara 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-16 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,992 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-15 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,761 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 20,992 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 13,761 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 Gwara 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 | #139,228 | #152,989 | -9.9% |
| Count | 120 | 105 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gwara bearers went from 120 to 105 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 13,761 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #152,989.
FAQ
Gwara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gwara?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Gwara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Gwara?
Gwara ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Gwara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Gwara.
Has Gwara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gwara went from 120 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Gwara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwara, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) 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 Gwara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gwara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Two or More Races (4.8%), 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 Gwara (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 Gwara mean?
A Polish surname potentially derived from regional or dialectal terminology. 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 Gwara (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 Gwara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.