2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Karecki
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive form of the name Karol.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Karecki. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karecki 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Karecki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karecki
The surname Karecki has its origins in Poland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Polish word "Karecki," which means "dweller from Karce," referring to a small village or town in central Poland.
In the late 16th century, a record exists of a nobleman named Jan Karecki, who was a landowner in the Mazovian region of Poland. This is one of the earliest documented instances of the name being used.
During the 17th century, the Karecki name appeared in various historical documents and records, such as parish registers and land ownership deeds. One notable figure from this era was Andrzej Karecki (1618-1679), a Polish military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish wars.
As the name spread across Poland, different spelling variations emerged, including Karetzki, Karecki, and Karetski. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.
In the 18th century, the Karecki surname gained prominence among the Polish nobility and gentry. One notable figure was Józef Karecki (1743-1811), a Polish politician and diplomat who served as a member of the Sejm (Polish parliament) and represented the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at various international conferences.
During the 19th century, as Polish families immigrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the Karecki name began to spread globally. One famous bearer of the name was Bronisław Karecki (1876-1948), a Polish engineer and inventor who developed early designs for a helicopter and is considered a pioneer in the field of aeronautics.
Another significant figure was Wacław Karecki (1892-1945), a Polish military officer who fought in World War I and later became a general in the Polish Army during World War II. He played a crucial role in the defense of Warsaw against the German invasion in 1939.
As the 20th century progressed, the Karecki name continued to be carried by notable individuals in various fields, such as literature, music, and academia. One example is Krzysztof Karecki (born 1954), a contemporary Polish composer and pianist known for his contributions to modern classical music.
While many variations and spellings of the name have emerged over the centuries, the Karecki surname remains deeply rooted in Polish history and culture, with its origins tracing back to a small village in central Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karecki
Among Census respondents with the surname Karecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Karecki 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 Karecki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karecki
Karecki 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,861 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,861 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 8,917 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 Karecki 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 | #138,304 | #147,221 | -6.4% |
| Count | 121 | 113 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karecki bearers went from 121 to 113 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 8,917 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #147,221.
FAQ
Karecki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karecki?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Karecki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Karecki?
Karecki ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Karecki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Karecki.
Has Karecki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karecki went from 121 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Karecki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Karecki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karecki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Karecki (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 Karecki mean?
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive form of the name Karol. 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 Karecki (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 Karecki?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.