2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Koniak
A place name referring to an area of Poland previously inhabited by that family.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Koniak. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koniak 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Koniak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koniak, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koniak
The surname Koniak is of Polish origin, and it dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the village of Koniak, located in the Masovian Voivodeship of central Poland. The name is derived from the Polish word "kon," which means "horse," suggesting a possible connection with occupations related to horses or horse breeding.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Koniak surname can be found in the Polish Census of 1564, where it was spelled as "Koniak." This spelling has remained relatively consistent throughout history, with minor variations such as "Koniak" and "Koniak."
In the 17th century, the Koniak family gained prominence in the region of Masovia. Jan Koniak (1620-1687) was a prominent landowner and military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish War. His son, Stanislaw Koniak (1655-1718), served as a member of the Polish parliament (Sejm) and played a crucial role in the political affairs of the time.
During the 18th century, the Koniak surname spread to other parts of Poland. Agnieszka Koniak (1738-1802) was a renowned poet and writer from Krakow, known for her contributions to Polish literature.
In the 19th century, the Koniak family produced several notable figures. Andrzej Koniak (1825-1899) was a respected physician and professor at the University of Warsaw, who made significant contributions to the field of medicine.
The 20th century saw the emergence of Konrad Koniak (1901-1989), a renowned Polish artist and sculptor. His works are displayed in various museums and galleries across Poland.
It is important to note that while these are some of the more prominent individuals with the surname Koniak, the name has been carried by many other families throughout Poland's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koniak
Among Census respondents with the surname Koniak, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Koniak 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 Koniak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 5
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koniak
Koniak 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,419 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 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 6,419 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 Koniak 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 | #151,639 | -4.4% |
| Count | 114 | 107 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koniak bearers went from 114 to 107 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 6,419 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #151,639.
FAQ
Koniak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koniak?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Koniak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Koniak?
Koniak ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Koniak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Koniak.
Has Koniak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koniak went from 114 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Koniak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koniak, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Koniak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koniak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Koniak (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 Koniak mean?
A place name referring to an area of Poland previously inhabited by that family. 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 Koniak (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 are called Koniak?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Koniak on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.