2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Knasiak
A Polish surname derived from the word "knap" meaning "miner" or "stonecutter."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Knasiak. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knasiak 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Knasiak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knasiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Knasiak
The surname KNASIAK is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "knasić," which means "to pick at" or "to nibble on." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who had a habit of snacking or picking at their food.
The earliest known record of the KNASIAK surname dates back to 1564, when it appeared in the town of Krakow, located in southern Poland. This region, known as Lesser Poland, was a stronghold of Polish nobility and culture during the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, the KNASIAK name surfaced in several historical documents, including the "Metryka Koronna," which was a collection of legal records maintained by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One notable individual from this era was Jan KNASIAK, a landowner and minor nobleman who lived in the village of Przybysławice near Krakow. He was born in 1623 and died in 1698.
The KNASIAK surname also appeared in the "Księgi Metrykalne," which were parish records kept by the Catholic Church in Poland. These records often contained valuable information about births, marriages, and deaths within local communities. One such entry from 1712 mentions a Katarzyna KNASIAK, who was baptized in the town of Brzeźnica.
During the 19th century, the KNASIAK name gained prominence in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Prussian Empire. One notable figure was Franciszek KNASIAK (1826-1901), a respected teacher and author who wrote several textbooks on Polish language and literature.
Another significant individual was Wladyslaw KNASIAK (1865-1946), a Polish architect who designed numerous buildings in the city of Lodz, including the iconic Piotrkowska Street. His works are considered important examples of the Art Nouveau style that was popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The KNASIAK surname has also been associated with various place names and their historical spellings. For instance, the village of Knasiak (formerly spelled "Knassiaken") in the Opole region of southwestern Poland may have derived its name from the surname itself.
In summary, the surname KNASIAK has a rich history rooted in Polish culture and tradition. From its humble beginnings as a descriptive name to its association with notable figures in education, architecture, and literature, the name has left an indelible mark on the annals of Polish history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knasiak
Among Census respondents with the surname Knasiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Knasiak 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 Knasiak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 92
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knasiak
Knasiak 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,432 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-14 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,462 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 3,432 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 10,462 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 Knasiak 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 | #145,220 | #155,682 | -7.2% |
| Count | 114 | 100 | -12.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knasiak bearers went from 114 to 100 (-12.3% change). The surname moved down 10,462 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #155,682.
FAQ
Knasiak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knasiak?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Knasiak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Knasiak?
Knasiak ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Knasiak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Knasiak.
Has Knasiak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knasiak went from 114 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 14 (-12.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Knasiak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knasiak, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Knasiak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knasiak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Black (2.0%). 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 Knasiak (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 Knasiak mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "knap" meaning "miner" or "stonecutter." 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 Knasiak (0.03 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 have the surname Knasiak?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.