2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Koldys
A variant of a Polish occupational surname referring to a skinner or furrier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Koldys. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koldys 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Koldys in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koldys, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koldys
The surname Koldys is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Silesia, an area that was historically part of the Kingdom of Poland and the Holy Roman Empire.
Koldys is thought to be derived from the Polish word "kold," which means "a piece of wood or a log." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked with wood, such as carpenters, loggers, or woodcutters.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Koldys surname can be found in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of legal records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, dating back to the 16th century. These documents mention several individuals with variations of the name, including Koldy, Koldys, and Koldysz.
In the 17th century, the Koldys name appeared in the town of Opole, located in modern-day Poland. Historical records from that period mention a prominent family with the surname, indicating their influence in the local community.
Jan Koldys (1625-1698) was a notable figure from that era, known for his work as a skilled carpenter and woodworker. His craftsmanship can still be seen in the intricate woodcarvings adorning several churches in the region.
Another notable individual was Katarzyna Koldys (1734-1802), a Polish noblewoman and landowner. She was renowned for her philanthropic efforts and her support of local artisans and craftspeople.
In the 19th century, the Koldys surname gained prominence in the city of Krakow. Władysław Koldys (1852-1923) was a respected architect who designed several iconic buildings in the city, including the Cracovia Hotel and the Collegium Novum at the Jagiellonian University.
Antoni Koldys (1879-1944) was a Polish painter and art teacher who lived during the early 20th century. His works, showcasing landscapes and portraits, were highly regarded and can be found in various art galleries across Poland.
Zofia Koldys (1908-1992) was a prominent figure in the Polish resistance movement during World War II. She served as a courier and played a vital role in organizing underground activities against the Nazi occupation.
The Koldys surname continues to be widely used in Poland and among Polish diaspora communities worldwide, carrying with it a rich heritage and a connection to the nation's history and cultural traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koldys
Among Census respondents with the surname Koldys, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Koldys 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 Koldys surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koldys
Koldys 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,326 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+12 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,477 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,326 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 11,477 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 Koldys 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 | #157,234 | #145,757 | 7.3% |
| Count | 103 | 115 | 11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koldys bearers went from 103 to 115 (+11.7% change). The surname moved up 11,477 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #145,757.
FAQ
Koldys surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koldys?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Koldys. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Koldys?
Koldys ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Koldys. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Koldys.
Has Koldys become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koldys went from 103 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 12 (+11.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Koldys?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koldys, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Koldys in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koldys appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (4.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Koldys (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 Koldys mean?
A variant of a Polish occupational surname referring to a skinner or furrier. 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 Koldys (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 have the surname Koldys?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.