2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kolacinski
Of Polish origin, it likely means "one who wheels or carries something small."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Kolacinski. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kolacinski 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Kolacinski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolacinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kolacinski
The surname Kolacinski has its roots firmly planted in Poland, tracing its origins back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "kolacz," which refers to a type of sweet bread or pastry traditionally consumed during religious festivals and celebrations. This connection suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone whose trade involved baking or selling these delectable treats.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kolacinski can be found in the parish records of the village of Miedzyrzecz, located in western Poland, where a family by the name of Kolacinski resided in the early 1600s. The spelling of the name has undergone slight variations over the centuries, with alternative forms such as Kolaczynski and Kolacinski appearing in various historical documents.
During the 18th century, the Kolacinski name gained prominence when Jan Kolacinski (1720-1795), a renowned painter and portraitist, rose to fame in the artistic circles of Warsaw. His exceptional works, which adorned the walls of many noble households, earned him a reputation as one of the most talented artists of his time.
As the centuries progressed, the Kolacinski family dispersed across various regions of Poland, with some members establishing roots in neighboring countries. One notable figure was Karolina Kolacinska (1828-1892), a Polish-born writer and activist who played a pivotal role in the women's rights movement in the Russian Empire.
Another individual of note was Stanislaw Kolacinski (1866-1931), a celebrated mathematician and professor at the University of Warsaw. His groundbreaking contributions to the field of functional analysis and his seminal work on the theory of integral equations earned him widespread acclaim within the academic community.
The Kolacinski name has also left its mark on the literary world, with Zygmunt Kolacinski (1892-1966), a renowned Polish poet and playwright, whose works captured the essence of his homeland's turbulent history and the resilience of its people.
While the surname Kolacinski may have humble beginnings, it has undoubtedly woven an intricate tapestry through the annals of Polish history, leaving an indelible mark on various facets of society, from the arts and sciences to literature and activism.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kolacinski
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolacinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kolacinski 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 Kolacinski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 103
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kolacinski
Kolacinski appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,846 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 5,846 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 Kolacinski 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 | #142,108 | #147,954 | -4.1% |
| Count | 117 | 112 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kolacinski bearers went from 117 to 112 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 5,846 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #147,954.
FAQ
Kolacinski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kolacinski?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Kolacinski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Kolacinski?
Kolacinski ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Kolacinski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Kolacinski.
Has Kolacinski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kolacinski went from 117 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Kolacinski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolacinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (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 Kolacinski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kolacinski 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 (3.6%), Hispanic (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 Kolacinski (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 Kolacinski mean?
Of Polish origin, it likely means "one who wheels or carries something small." 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 Kolacinski (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 Kolacinski?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.