2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Katafiasz
A Polish surname derived from the word "katafalk" meaning a bier or catafalque.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Katafiasz. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Katafiasz 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Katafiasz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Katafiasz, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Katafiasz
The surname KATAFIASZ is of Polish origin, originating in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "katafalek," which meant a bier or a small, movable funeral platform used for transporting the deceased. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked in the funeral industry, perhaps a coffin maker or undertaker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KATAFIASZ name can be found in the parish records of the village of Strzegom, located in Lower Silesia (now part of southwestern Poland), dating back to the early 1600s. The name appears to have been concentrated in this region during its early history, though it gradually spread to other parts of Poland over time.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the KATAFIASZ surname was Jan KATAFIASZ (1715-1783), a Polish priest and philosopher who wrote extensively on ethics and morality. His works, published in Latin, were widely read and influential among the intellectual circles of the time.
Another historical figure of note was Michał KATAFIASZ (1824-1898), a Polish landowner and philanthropist from the region of Galicia (now part of western Ukraine). He was known for his generous support of local schools and charitable organizations, and his name is still commemorated in the town where he lived.
In the 19th century, the KATAFIASZ name can be found in various Polish records, including church registers and military archives. One such record mentions a Jakub KATAFIASZ (1842-1911), a soldier who fought in the January Uprising against Russian rule in the 1860s.
Moving into the 20th century, a prominent bearer of the KATAFIASZ surname was Stefan KATAFIASZ (1892-1965), a Polish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw and other cities. His works contributed to the reconstruction efforts following the devastation of World War II.
While the KATAFIASZ name has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, it remains relatively uncommon outside of its country of origin, and its historical significance is primarily tied to its Polish heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Katafiasz
Among Census respondents with the surname Katafiasz, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Katafiasz 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 Katafiasz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Katafiasz
Katafiasz 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+7 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,208 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 2,208 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 247 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 Katafiasz 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 | #150,452 | #150,205 | 0.2% |
| Count | 109 | 109 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Katafiasz bearers went from 109 to 109 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 247 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #150,205.
FAQ
Katafiasz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Katafiasz?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Katafiasz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Katafiasz?
Katafiasz ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Katafiasz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Katafiasz.
Has Katafiasz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Katafiasz went from 109 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Katafiasz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Katafiasz, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%) and Two or More Races (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 Katafiasz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Katafiasz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%), Two or More Races (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 Katafiasz (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 Katafiasz mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "katafalk" meaning a bier or catafalque. 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 Katafiasz (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 Katafiasz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.