2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kobiela
A Polish surname likely derived from the word "kobić" meaning to roll or twist.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Kobiela. 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 Kobiela 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 Kobiela 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 Kobiela, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kobiela
The surname Kobiela has its origins in Poland, where it first emerged in the late medieval period. It is derived from the Polish word 'kobiela,' which means a small sickle or curved blade used for cutting grass or reaping crops. This suggests that the name likely originated among families involved in agricultural work or peasant farming communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kobiela surname appears in the Papal Registers of the 14th century, which document various church appointments and transactions across Europe. A certain Jan Kobiela is mentioned as a priest in the diocese of Krakow in the year 1376.
By the 15th century, the name had spread to other regions of Poland, as evidenced by the presence of a Michał Kobiela, a merchant from the city of Gdańsk, in the records of the Hanseatic League trade organization in 1452.
In the 16th century, the Kobiela surname is found in the Polish Armorial, a collection of noble family coats of arms. This suggests that some branches of the family had attained a degree of social status and recognition by this time.
One notable figure in Polish history bearing this surname was Zygmunt Kobiela (1619-1689), a military commander who fought in the wars against Sweden and the Ottoman Empire during the reign of King Jan III Sobieski.
Another prominent individual was Józef Kobiela (1738-1819), a Catholic priest and theologian who served as the rector of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow in the late 18th century.
In the 19th century, the name appears in connection with the Polish national revival and struggle for independence. Antoni Kobiela (1808-1882) was a writer, poet, and patriotic activist who participated in the November Uprising against Russian rule in 1830-1831.
Moving into the early 20th century, Wacław Kobiela (1886-1942) was a Polish engineer and inventor who patented several innovative designs for agricultural machinery, reflecting the name's historical ties to farming and rural life.
Finally, it is worth noting that the Kobiela surname has also been found in variations such as Kobielski, Kobielec, and Kobielak, which may have emerged as local dialectal forms or diminutives over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kobiela
Among Census respondents with the surname Kobiela, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kobiela 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 Kobiela surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 98
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kobiela
Kobiela 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-11 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,115 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 362 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 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 21,115 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 362 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 Kobiela 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 | #156,044 | #155,682 | 0.2% |
| Count | 104 | 100 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kobiela bearers went from 104 to 100 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 362 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #155,682.
FAQ
Kobiela surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kobiela?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Kobiela. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Kobiela?
Kobiela 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 Kobiela. 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 Kobiela.
Has Kobiela become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kobiela went from 104 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Kobiela?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kobiela, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (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 Kobiela in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kobiela appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Two or More Races (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 Kobiela (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 Kobiela mean?
A Polish surname likely derived from the word "kobić" meaning to roll or twist. 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 Kobiela (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 last name Kobiela?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Kobiela at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.