2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kanicki
A Polish surname derived from the personal name "Kanicki" or "Kanicz".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Kanicki. 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 Kanicki 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 Kanicki 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 Kanicki, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kanicki
The surname Kanicki is believed to have originated in Poland, possibly derived from the Polish word "kania," which means "kite" or a type of bird of prey. It may have been given as a nickname to someone who was associated with these birds or had physical characteristics reminiscent of them.
In the early 15th century, variations of the name, such as Kanicki, Kanitzky, and Kaniecki, were found in various records and manuscripts from the regions of Silesia and Pomerania, which were then part of the Kingdom of Poland. These areas were known for their rich bird life and falconry traditions, lending further credence to the avian origins of the surname.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Kanicki can be found in the Akta Grodzkie i Ziemskie, a collection of court records and land deeds from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention a landowner named Jan Kanicki, who owned properties in the Lublin region.
In the 17th century, the Kanicki surname appeared in church registers and census records from the towns of Bydgoszcz and Toruń, indicating the presence of Kanicki families in these areas. A notable figure from this time was Marcin Kanicki (1618-1687), a Catholic priest and scholar who authored several theological works and served as a parish priest in Gdańsk.
During the 18th century, the name Kanicki gained prominence with the birth of Józef Kanicki (1725-1805), a Polish nobleman and military officer who fought in the wars against the Russian Empire. He was recognized for his bravery and leadership during the Kościuszko Uprising of 1794.
Another significant individual bearing the Kanicki surname was Franciszek Kanicki (1798-1876), a renowned Polish painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and historical scenes. His works were exhibited in various galleries across Europe and were highly regarded during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the Kanicki name appeared in records from the regions of Greater Poland and Pomerania, with several families engaged in agriculture and trade. One notable figure from this period was Antoni Kanicki (1836-1901), a Polish writer and journalist who contributed to several literary publications and advocated for Polish independence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kanicki
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanicki, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kanicki 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 Kanicki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kanicki
Kanicki 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+19 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 7,435 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-17 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,776 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +19 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 7,435 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 16,776 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 Kanicki 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 | #127,494 | #144,270 | -13.2% |
| Count | 134 | 117 | -12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kanicki bearers went from 134 to 117 (-12.7% change). The surname moved down 16,776 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #144,270.
FAQ
Kanicki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kanicki?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Kanicki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Kanicki?
Kanicki 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 Kanicki. 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 Kanicki.
Has Kanicki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kanicki went from 134 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 17 (-12.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Kanicki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanicki, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Kanicki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kanicki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Kanicki (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 Kanicki mean?
A Polish surname derived from the personal name "Kanicki" or "Kanicz". 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 Kanicki (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 share the surname Kanicki?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.