2000
#65,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 281
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Kotowicz
An East Slavic occupational surname derived from kotovik meaning "maker of spinning wheels."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 345 Americans carry the last name Kotowicz. That puts it at #70,147 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 993,491 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kotowicz 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
345
1 in 993,491
Census rank
#70,147
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
301
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 301 bearers of the surname Kotowicz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 70147th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kotowicz
The surname Kotowicz originates from Poland and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "kot," meaning "cat," and the suffix "-owicz," which denotes belonging or association. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who had a connection with cats, possibly a breeder or a person who valued or owned cats.
The earliest known record of the name Kotowicz can be found in the parish registers of the town of Krakow, dating back to the late 1500s. In these records, the name was sometimes spelled as "Kotowycz" or "Kotowicz," reflecting the variations in spelling during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name Kotowicz appeared in various historical documents, including land records and court proceedings, in the regions of Małopolska and Mazowsze, which were part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at that time. This indicates that the name had spread across different parts of the country.
One notable figure bearing the surname Kotowicz was Jan Kotowicz (1572-1642), a Polish nobleman and landowner who held significant estates in the Lublin region. He was known for his involvement in local politics and his support for the Polish Crown during the period of the Polish-Swedish wars.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Katarzyna Kotowicz (1655-1721), a Polish writer and translator who is credited with translating several works from French into Polish. Her translations played a significant role in introducing French literature to Polish readers during the Age of Enlightenment.
In the 19th century, the surname Kotowicz was also found in the records of the Galician region, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time. One notable figure from this period was Franciszek Kotowicz (1805-1879), a Polish lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Galician Diet (regional parliament).
Additionally, the name Kotowicz can be traced back to various villages and towns in Poland, such as Kotowice (in the Silesian region), Kotowicze (in the Lublin region), and Kotowice-Kolonia (in the Mazovian region), suggesting that the name may have originated from or been associated with these locations.
Throughout history, several other individuals bearing the surname Kotowicz have made contributions in various fields, including academia, arts, and public service, further solidifying the presence and significance of this name in Polish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kotowicz
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kotowicz 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 Kotowicz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 293
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 3
- Two or more races1.0% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kotowicz
Kotowicz 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
#63,218
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 316
+35 bearers (+12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 2,644 places
2020
#70,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 301
-15 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 6,929 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #65,862 | 281 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #63,218 | 316 | 0.11 | +35 bearers (+12.5%) | Up 2,644 places |
| 2020 | #70,147 | 301 | 0.10 | -15 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 6,929 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 Kotowicz 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 | #63,218 | #70,147 | -11.0% |
| Count | 316 | 301 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.10 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kotowicz bearers went from 316 to 301 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 6,929 positions in the national ranking, going from #63,218 to #70,147.
FAQ
Kotowicz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kotowicz?
Name Census estimates that about 345 living Americans carry the surname Kotowicz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 993,491 residents.
How common is Kotowicz?
Kotowicz ranks #70,147 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 301 people with the surname Kotowicz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (345), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Kotowicz.
Has Kotowicz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kotowicz went from 316 recorded bearers to 301. That is a decrease of 15 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #63,218 to #70,147.
What does the Census say about the background of Kotowicz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Kotowicz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (293 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kotowicz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Kotowicz (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 Kotowicz mean?
An East Slavic occupational surname derived from kotovik meaning "maker of spinning wheels." 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 Kotowicz (0.10 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 Kotowicz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.