Find out how popular the last name Janowitz is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Janowitz.

Janowitz, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Janowitz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Janowitz in America

Janowitz is the 54864th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Janowitz surname appeared 375 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Janowitz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Janowitz to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Janowitz

The surname "JANOWITZ" is of Slavic origin, specifically from the Czech Republic and Poland regions. It is believed to have originated from the 15th century, derived from the Old Slavic name "Jan," meaning "God's gracious gift." The suffix "-owitz" or "-owicz" is a common Slavic patronymic suffix, indicating "son of."

This surname first appeared in historical records in the late 15th century, particularly in the region of Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. One of the earliest known references is found in the 1487 census records of the town of Litomerice, where a family named Janowitz is listed among the local residents.

In the 16th century, the name Janowitz can be found in various Polish and Czech manuscripts and documents. For instance, in the 1542 chronicles of the city of Krakow, a merchant named Jakub Janowitz is mentioned as a prominent trader in the city.

The earliest recorded individual with the surname Janowitz was Jan Janowitz, a Czech scholar and philosopher who lived from 1482 to 1548. He studied at the University of Prague and wrote several notable works on philosophy and theology.

Another notable figure was Stanislav Janowitz (1551-1618), a Czech nobleman and military commander who served in the army of Emperor Rudolf II. He played a significant role in the Thirty Years' War and was renowned for his strategic leadership.

In the 18th century, a Polish painter named Franciszek Janowitz (1730-1805) gained recognition for his exceptional portraiture and religious artwork commissioned by the Polish nobility and clergy.

During the 19th century, a Czech mathematician named Karel Janowitz (1812-1892) made significant contributions to the field of calculus and was a respected professor at the University of Prague.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Janowitz was the Polish-American novelist and screenwriter Jerzy Janowitz (1909-1988), known for his acclaimed novel "The Painted Bird," which depicted the brutalities of World War II.

It's worth noting that the surname Janowitz has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Janowicz, Janovitz, and Janowits, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Janowitz

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Janowitz.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Janowitz was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Janowitz has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Janowitz was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Janowitz, please contact us.

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