2000
#23,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 986
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Krakowski
A surname indicating geographic origin in or near the city of Kraków, Poland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,083 Americans carry the last name Krakowski. That puts it at #27,108 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 316,486 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krakowski 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
1.1K
1 in 316,486
Census rank
#27,108
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
944
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 944 bearers of the surname Krakowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27108th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krakowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krakowski
The surname Krakowski is of Polish origin, derived from the word "krakowski," meaning "of or from Krakow," a city located in southern Poland. The name likely originated in the Middle Ages, when it was common to adopt surnames based on one's place of origin or residence.
Krakowski is a toponymic surname, referring to the city of Krakow, which has a rich history dating back to the 7th century. Krakow was once the capital of Poland and a major center of trade, culture, and education. The city's name is believed to come from the name of a legendary ruler, Krak, who is said to have founded the city.
Historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries mention individuals with the surname Krakowski, suggesting that the name was well-established by that time. One notable example is Jan Krakowski, a Polish mathematician and astronomer who lived in the late 15th century and studied at the University of Krakow.
In the 16th century, the Krakowski family played a significant role in the Polish Reformation. Stanisław Krakowski was a prominent Protestant minister and author who advocated for religious reforms in Poland.
During the 17th century, the name Krakowski appeared in various historical documents related to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. For instance, Andrzej Krakowski was a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Muscovite War (1609-1618).
In the 18th century, the Krakowski surname was associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences. Franciszek Krakowski (1733-1795) was a Polish painter known for his religious and historical works, while Jan Krakowski (1758-1823) was a respected mathematician and educator.
The 19th century saw the rise of several Krakowski families in different parts of Europe. One prominent example is Ludwik Krakowski (1824-1890), a Polish-born artist who spent most of his career in France and became known for his landscapes and genre paintings.
As the Krakowski surname spread beyond Poland, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Krakovski, Krakovsky, and Krakovskiy, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the regions where the name was adopted.
While the above examples highlight some notable individuals with the Krakowski surname throughout history, it is important to note that the name has been carried by countless others whose stories and contributions may not have been as well documented.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krakowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Krakowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Krakowski 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 Krakowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 883
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 26
- Two or more races2.0% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 9
- Black or African American0.7% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krakowski
Krakowski 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
#25,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 962
-24 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 1,737 places
2020
#27,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 944
-18 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 1,468 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,903 | 986 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,640 | 962 | 0.33 | -24 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 1,737 places |
| 2020 | #27,108 | 944 | 0.32 | -18 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 1,468 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 Krakowski 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 | #25,640 | #27,108 | -5.7% |
| Count | 962 | 944 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.32 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krakowski bearers went from 962 to 944 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 1,468 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,640 to #27,108.
FAQ
Krakowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krakowski?
Name Census estimates that about 1,083 living Americans carry the surname Krakowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 316,486 residents.
How common is Krakowski?
Krakowski ranks #27,108 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 944 people with the surname Krakowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,083), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Krakowski.
Has Krakowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krakowski went from 962 recorded bearers to 944. That is a decrease of 18 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,640 to #27,108.
What does the Census say about the background of Krakowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krakowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Krakowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (883 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krakowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Krakowski (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 Krakowski mean?
A surname indicating geographic origin in or near the city of Kraków, Poland. 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 Krakowski (0.32 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 share the surname Krakowski?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.