2000
#24,892
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 938
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Very Rare Last name
Kosakowski
A surname indicating Polish origins, possibly derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 984 Americans carry the last name Kosakowski. That puts it at #29,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 348,328 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kosakowski 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
984
1 in 348,328
Census rank
#29,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
858
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 858 bearers of the surname Kosakowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kosakowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kosakowski
The surname Kosakowski originates from Poland and dates back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "kosak" which means "free man" or "Cossack". The name likely emerged as a descriptive term for an individual who lived a free and independent lifestyle, perhaps resembling that of the Cossack warriors.
The earliest recorded instances of the Kosakowski surname can be found in historical records from the region of Lesser Poland, specifically the areas around the cities of Krakow and Rzeszow. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in these regions during the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the Kosakowski surname was Jan Kosakowski, a Polish nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 16th century. He was mentioned in several historical documents related to land disputes and property transactions in the Lesser Poland region.
In the 18th century, the Kosakowski name gained further prominence with the birth of Józef Kosakowski (1725-1799), a Polish military officer and nobleman. He served in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's army and was known for his participation in various military campaigns against foreign invaders.
Another notable figure was Michal Kosakowski (1788-1853), a Polish writer and journalist who lived during the partitions of Poland. He was an outspoken advocate for Polish independence and contributed to several influential publications of the time.
During the 19th century, the Kosakowski surname spread beyond Poland's borders, with some individuals emigrating to other parts of Europe and North America. One such individual was Jan Kosakowski (1832-1901), a Polish-American architect who designed several notable buildings in Chicago, including the Holy Trinity Polish Mission Church.
Another prominent bearer of the Kosakowski name was Wladyslaw Kosakowski (1865-1942), a Polish painter and art educator. He was a professor at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts and played a significant role in shaping the artistic landscape of early 20th century Poland.
While the Kosakowski surname has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals who left their homeland for various reasons throughout history. However, its origins can be traced back to the 16th century and the linguistic roots of the Polish language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kosakowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Kosakowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kosakowski 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 Kosakowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 792
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 35
- Two or more races2.1% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 9
- Black or African American0.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kosakowski
Kosakowski 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
#26,471
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 922
-16 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 1,579 places
2020
#29,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 858
-64 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 2,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,892 | 938 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,471 | 922 | 0.31 | -16 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 1,579 places |
| 2020 | #29,363 | 858 | 0.29 | -64 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 2,892 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 Kosakowski 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 | #26,471 | #29,363 | -10.9% |
| Count | 922 | 858 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.29 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kosakowski bearers went from 922 to 858 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 2,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,471 to #29,363.
FAQ
Kosakowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kosakowski?
Name Census estimates that about 984 living Americans carry the surname Kosakowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 348,328 residents.
How common is Kosakowski?
Kosakowski ranks #29,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 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 858 people with the surname Kosakowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (984), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 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 Kosakowski.
Has Kosakowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kosakowski went from 922 recorded bearers to 858. That is a decrease of 64 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #26,471 to #29,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Kosakowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kosakowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Kosakowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (792 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kosakowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Kosakowski (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 Kosakowski mean?
A surname indicating Polish origins, possibly derived from a place name. 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 Kosakowski (0.29 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 Americans have the surname Kosakowski?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.