Find out how popular the last name Kołodziej is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kołodziej.

Kołodziej, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kołodziej surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kołodziej in America

Kołodziej is the 13445th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kołodziej surname appeared 2,265 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kołodziej.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kołodziej to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kołodziej

The surname KOLODZIEJ originates from Poland and dates back several centuries. It is derived from the old Polish word "kołodziej," meaning "cartwright" or "wheelwright," referring to a skilled craftsman who made wheels and carts. The name likely emerged as an occupational surname, given to individuals who practiced this trade.

KOLODZIEJ has its roots in various regions of Poland, particularly in the central and eastern parts of the country. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in historical documents and records from the 15th and 16th centuries.

One notable historical reference involving the name KOLODZIEJ is found in the "Akta Grodzkie i Ziemskie" (Acts of the Grod and Land Courts), a collection of legal documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth dating back to the 16th century. These records mention individuals with the surname KOLODZIEJ engaged in various legal matters and transactions.

Among the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Jan KOLODZIEJ, a cartwright from the town of Kraków in the late 15th century. Another early example is Maciej KOLODZIEJ, a wheelwright from the village of Oleszyce, born around 1520.

Over the centuries, the KOLODZIEJ surname has been associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Stanisław KOLODZIEJ (1624-1677), a Polish nobleman and military officer who fought in the Swedish-Polish wars of the 17th century.

Another prominent bearer of the KOLODZIEJ name was Andrzej KOLODZIEJ (1798-1865), a Polish writer, journalist, and political activist who played a significant role in the November Uprising against Russian rule in the early 19th century.

In more recent times, Kazimierz KOLODZIEJ (1918-1994) was a respected Polish architect known for his contributions to the reconstruction of Warsaw after World War II.

Additionally, the name KOLODZIEJ has been linked to various place names and locations in Poland, such as the village of Kolodziejewo in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, which likely derived its name from the presence of cartwright families in the area.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the KOLODZIEJ surname have been observed, including Kolodziey, Kolodziej, and Kolodziejczyk, among others. These variations often resulted from regional dialects, transcription errors, or attempts to adapt the name to different linguistic environments.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kołodziej

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kołodziej.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kołodziej was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kołodziej has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kołodziej was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kołodziej, please contact us.

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