2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gwizdak
A Polish surname referring to someone who whistled or played a whistle instrument.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Gwizdak. 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 Gwizdak 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 Gwizdak 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 Gwizdak, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gwizdak
The surname Gwizdak has its origins in Poland, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Polish word "gwizdać," which means "to whistle." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who whistled frequently or had a distinct whistling ability.
In its earliest form, the name was likely spelled as "Gwizdak" or a similar variation, reflecting the phonetic spelling common in the Polish language at the time. The name's widespread use can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries when surnames began to be adopted more widely among the Polish population.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gwizdak surname can be found in the Liber Beneficiorum, a historical document from the late 15th century that documented the distribution of land and benefices in the Archdiocese of Gniezno. This record mentions a "Jacobus Gwizdak" as a landowner in the village of Żnin.
Another notable early mention of the Gwizdak name comes from the Metryka Koronna, a collection of official records maintained by the Polish Crown Chancery during the 16th and 17th centuries. Here, a "Marcin Gwizdak" is listed as a court official in the city of Kraków in the year 1587.
Over the centuries, several individuals with the Gwizdak surname have achieved notable accomplishments or recognition. For instance, Jan Gwizdak (1892-1968) was a Polish painter and illustrator known for his works depicting rural life and landscapes. Another Gwizdak, Józef Gwizdak (1834-1891), was a respected priest and author who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics.
In the realm of sports, Andrzej Gwizdak (born 1964) was a successful Polish football player who represented his country in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. More recently, Katarzyna Gwizdak (born 1985) has made a name for herself as a professional tennis player, representing Poland in international competitions.
It is worth noting that while the Gwizdak surname is predominantly found in Poland, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration patterns. However, the name's origins can be firmly traced back to its Polish roots and the linguistic roots of the word "gwizdać."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gwizdak
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwizdak, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gwizdak 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 Gwizdak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 7
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gwizdak
Gwizdak 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
-1 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 8,529 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-14 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,544 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 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | -1 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 8,529 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 14,544 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 Gwizdak 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 | #126,765 | #141,309 | -11.5% |
| Count | 135 | 121 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gwizdak bearers went from 135 to 121 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 14,544 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #141,309.
FAQ
Gwizdak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gwizdak?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Gwizdak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Gwizdak?
Gwizdak 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 Gwizdak. 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 Gwizdak.
Has Gwizdak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gwizdak went from 135 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Gwizdak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwizdak, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Gwizdak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gwizdak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (5.8%), Black (0.8%). 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 Gwizdak (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 Gwizdak mean?
A Polish surname referring to someone who whistled or played a whistle instrument. 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 Gwizdak (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 Gwizdak?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Gwizdak at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.