2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Krolewski
A Polish surname meaning "royal" or "kingly".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Krolewski. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krolewski 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Krolewski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krolewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krolewski
The surname Krolewski originated in Poland during the late 14th century. It derives from the Polish word "krol," meaning king or ruler, and the suffix "-ewski," indicating a person's origin or association. This suggests the name was initially given to individuals with a connection to royalty or nobility.
One of the earliest records of the Krolewski name appears in a 1402 document from the town of Krakow, where a certain Jan Krolewski is mentioned as a landowner. This indicates the name had already gained prominence within Polish society by the early 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Krolewski name was found in various regions of Poland, particularly in the areas around Warsaw, Krakow, and Poznan. Some variations in spelling, such as Krolewsky or Krolevski, were also common during this period.
In the 18th century, the Krolewski family gained recognition when Tomasz Krolewski (1698-1768) became a prominent military leader and served as a general in the Polish army during the wars against the Ottoman Empire. His bravery and strategic skills earned him a place in Polish military history.
Another notable figure was Katarzyna Krolewski (1752-1829), a respected scholar and educator who established one of the first schools for girls in Warsaw. Her efforts to promote education for women were groundbreaking at the time and left a lasting impact on Polish society.
The 19th century saw the Krolewski family spread across various regions of Europe, with some members settling in neighboring countries like Germany and Austria-Hungary. One such individual was Stanislaw Krolewski (1819-1892), a renowned artist whose paintings depicting Polish landscapes and rural life are still celebrated today.
In the early 20th century, Józef Krolewski (1901-1979) made significant contributions to Polish literature as a novelist and poet. His works often explored themes of national identity and the struggles of the Polish people during times of conflict and occupation.
Throughout its history, the Krolewski surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, military leaders, and intellectuals, all contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of Poland and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krolewski
Among Census respondents with the surname Krolewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Krolewski 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 Krolewski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 99
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krolewski
Krolewski 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+6 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,333 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 3,333 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 986 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 Krolewski 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 | #153,769 | #154,755 | -0.6% |
| Count | 106 | 102 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krolewski bearers went from 106 to 102 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 986 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,755.
FAQ
Krolewski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krolewski?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Krolewski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Krolewski?
Krolewski ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Krolewski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Krolewski.
Has Krolewski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krolewski went from 106 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Krolewski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krolewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Krolewski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krolewski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Black (2.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Krolewski (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 Krolewski mean?
A Polish surname meaning "royal" or "kingly". 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 Krolewski (0.03 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 have the last name Krolewski?
You can see how common the surname Krolewski is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.