2000
#114,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kopaczewski
Polish surname derived from a nickname meaning "one who digs" or "digger".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Kopaczewski. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kopaczewski 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Kopaczewski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopaczewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kopaczewski
The surname Kopaczewski has its origins in Poland, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 15th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "kopacz," which means "digger" or "miner," indicating that the first bearers of this surname were likely involved in mining or digging occupations.
Kopaczewski is a locational surname, meaning it originated from a specific place or region. It is believed to have originated in the village of Kopaczów, located in the Silesian region of southwestern Poland. The village's name itself is derived from the same root word, "kopacz," further reinforcing the connection to mining or digging activities.
In the 16th century, the Kopaczewski surname appeared in various historical records and documents, including parish registers and census records. One notable early mention was in the "Akta metrykalne" (Metrical Records) of the Archdiocese of Kraków, which documented births, marriages, and deaths in the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Kopaczewski surname was Jan Kopaczewski, a miner born in the village of Kopaczów in 1512. Another notable figure was Piotr Kopaczewski, a prominent landowner and businessman born in 1618 in the town of Olesno, located near Kopaczów.
As the centuries passed, the Kopaczewski surname spread beyond its place of origin and became more widely dispersed throughout Poland. In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Michał Kopaczewski (1732-1804), a respected scholar and philosopher who authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy.
During the 19th century, the Kopaczewski surname gained further recognition with the achievements of Stanisław Kopaczewski (1845-1912), a renowned architect who designed numerous notable buildings in Warsaw, including the iconic Zachęta Palace, which now serves as a prestigious art gallery.
Another significant figure was Kazimierz Kopaczewski (1888-1964), a Polish soldier and military officer who fought bravely in World War I and later served as a general in the Polish Army during World War II, earning numerous honors and distinctions for his service.
Throughout its history, the Kopaczewski surname has maintained its strong ties to its Polish roots and continues to be a prominent name in various fields, reflecting the enduring legacy of its early bearers who were likely involved in mining and digging activities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kopaczewski
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopaczewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kopaczewski 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 Kopaczewski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kopaczewski
Kopaczewski 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-14 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,040 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-19 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,999 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,166 | 142 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 18,040 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 17,999 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 Kopaczewski 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 | #132,206 | #150,205 | -13.6% |
| Count | 128 | 109 | -14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kopaczewski bearers went from 128 to 109 (-14.8% change). The surname moved down 17,999 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #150,205.
FAQ
Kopaczewski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kopaczewski?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Kopaczewski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Kopaczewski?
Kopaczewski ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Kopaczewski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Kopaczewski.
Has Kopaczewski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kopaczewski went from 128 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Kopaczewski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kopaczewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Kopaczewski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kopaczewski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (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 Kopaczewski (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 Kopaczewski mean?
Polish surname derived from a nickname meaning "one who digs" or "digger". 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 Kopaczewski (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 Kopaczewski?
If you just want to know how many people are called Kopaczewski, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.