Kozlowski
A Polish toponymic surname derived from the word "kozioł," meaning "goat," likely referring to a place associated with goats.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,031 Americans carry the last name Kozlowski. That puts it at #3,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,489 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kozlowski surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
12K
1 in 28,489
Census rank
#3,449
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,358 bearers of the surname Kozlowski in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kozlowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kozlowski
The surname Kozlowski is of Polish origin, deriving from the word "kozioł," which means "goat" in Polish. It is believed to have originated in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period, sometime around the 15th or 16th century.
The name likely originated in rural areas of Poland, where it may have been used as a descriptive name for someone who worked with goats or had a physical resemblance to a goat. Variations in spelling, such as Kozłowski or Kozlowsky, were common in historical records due to regional dialects and scribal inconsistencies.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kozlowski can be found in the Metryka Koronna, a collection of historical documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth dating back to the late 15th century. The name appears in various records and manuscripts throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Notable individuals with the surname Kozlowski include Józef Kozłowski (1776-1858), a Polish painter and art teacher, and Stanisław Kozłowski (1885-1939), a Polish architect and academic who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw.
Another notable figure was Ksawery Kozłowski (1799-1879), a Polish general who fought in the November Uprising against Russian rule in the early 19th century. He later served as a military advisor to the Ottoman Empire and played a role in reforming the Ottoman army.
In the 20th century, Wacław Kozłowski (1892-1977) was a prominent Polish composer and conductor, known for his works in the late Romantic and early modern styles. He served as the director of the Kraków Opera from 1933 to 1939.
Andrzej Kozłowski (1923-2022) was a Polish writer and journalist who survived imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. His memoir, "Oblicza Totalitaryzmu" (Faces of Totalitarianism), recounted his experiences and became an important historical document.
While the surname Kozlowski is most prevalent in Poland, it has also been carried by individuals of Polish descent in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Polish immigration, such as the United States and Canada.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kozlowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Kozlowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kozlowski bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Kozlowski surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0%
- Hispanic or Latino2.6%
- Two or more races1.4%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%
- Black or African American0.2%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Kozlowski surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,449 | #3,449 | 0.0% |
| Count | 10,358 | 10,358 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.51 | 3.51 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Kozlowski bearers went from 10,358 to 10,358 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #3,449 to #3,449.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kozlowski
FAQ
Kozlowski surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Kozlowski?
The surname Kozlowski holds position #3,449 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 12,031 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 3.51 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Kozlowski surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kozlowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.