2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Kalczynski
A Polish surname derived from the personal name Kalczyn, itself originating from the word "kalka" meaning a rock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Kalczynski. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kalczynski 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Kalczynski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalczynski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kalczynski
The surname Kalczynski is of Polish origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Polish word "kalczyna," which means "lime" or "limestone." This suggests that the name may have originated from someone who lived near a limestone quarry or worked as a lime burner.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kalczynski can be found in historical documents from the 16th century in the regions of Greater Poland and Silesia, which were then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Kalczinski, Kalczynsky, and Kalczynski, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Jan Kalczynski, a prominent landowner and nobleman who lived in the village of Kalczynsko, near Poznan, in the late 16th century. His estate and the surrounding lands were known for their rich limestone deposits, which may have contributed to the origin of the family name.
In the 17th century, the Kalczynski name gained prominence in the town of Czestochowa, where a branch of the family established themselves as respected merchants and traders. One notable figure from this period was Stanislaw Kalczynski (1620-1689), a successful businessman and philanthropist who funded the construction of a church and a school in Czestochowa.
During the Polish Renaissance, the Kalczynski family produced several scholars and writers, including Andrzej Kalczynski (1572-1637), a renowned poet and playwright who was celebrated for his contributions to Polish literature.
In the 19th century, the Kalczynski name appeared in the context of the Polish struggle for independence. Ignacy Kalczynski (1825-1891) was a prominent military leader and patriot who fought against the Russian Empire during the January Uprising of 1863-1864.
Another notable figure was Wladyslaw Kalczynski (1879-1945), a renowned architect and urban planner who designed several iconic buildings in Warsaw, including the Palace of Culture and Science. His works played a significant role in shaping the architectural landscape of the city during the interwar period and after World War II.
While these are just a few examples, the Kalczynski surname has a rich history that spans centuries and is firmly rooted in Polish culture and tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kalczynski
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalczynski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kalczynski 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 Kalczynski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 111
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kalczynski
Kalczynski appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+15 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 14,162 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 Kalczynski 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 | #158,432 | #144,270 | 8.9% |
| Count | 102 | 117 | 14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kalczynski bearers went from 102 to 117 (+14.7% change). The surname moved up 14,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #144,270.
FAQ
Kalczynski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kalczynski?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Kalczynski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Kalczynski?
Kalczynski ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Kalczynski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Kalczynski.
Has Kalczynski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kalczynski went from 102 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 15 (+14.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Kalczynski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalczynski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Kalczynski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kalczynski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Kalczynski (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 Kalczynski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the personal name Kalczyn, itself originating from the word "kalka" meaning a rock. 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 Kalczynski (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 common is the surname Kalczynski?
Want to know how common the surname Kalczynski is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.