2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Krzys
A Polish surname derived from the Polish form of the name Christopher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Krzys. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Krzys 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Krzys in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Krzys, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Krzys
The surname KRZYS is of Polish origin and dates back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Lesser Poland, an area that includes the cities of Krakow and Katowice. The name is derived from the Polish word "krzyz," which translates to "cross" and is likely linked to the Christian symbolism of the cross.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the KRZYS surname can be found in the Krakow municipal records from the late 1400s, where a certain Stanislaw Krzys is listed as a resident. Another early reference appears in the Katowice parish registers from the early 1500s, which document the birth of a child named Jadwiga Krzys.
In the 16th century, the KRZYS name gained prominence with the birth of Jan Krzys (1510-1578), a renowned Polish theologian and philosopher. Jan Krzys studied at the University of Krakow and later became a professor at the same institution, where he taught ethics and logic. His works on moral philosophy and theology were widely influential during the Renaissance period in Poland.
Another notable bearer of the KRZYS surname was Franciszek Krzys (1715-1783), a Polish military engineer and cartographer. Franciszek Krzys served in the Polish army and was responsible for mapping various regions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. His detailed maps and surveys contributed significantly to the development of cartography in Central Europe.
In the 19th century, the KRZYS name was associated with the Polish independence movement. Józef Krzys (1818-1892) was a prominent Polish patriot and activist who participated in the November Uprising against the Russian Empire in 1830-1831. He later spent several years in exile in France, where he continued to advocate for Polish independence.
Another notable figure with the KRZYS surname was Maria Krzys (1875-1946), a Polish educator and women's rights activist. Maria Krzys founded several schools for girls in the city of Lviv (now in Ukraine) and worked tirelessly to promote equal educational opportunities for women in the early 20th century.
The KRZYS surname has also been associated with various place names in Poland, such as the village of Krzyszowice near Krakow, which dates back to the 13th century. The name "Krzyszowice" is likely derived from the same root as the surname KRZYS, reflecting the historical presence of this family name in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krzys
Among Census respondents with the surname Krzys, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Krzys 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 Krzys surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 6
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Krzys
Krzys 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-6 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,893 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+14 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,955 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 16,893 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 13,955 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 Krzys 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 | #159,712 | #145,757 | 8.7% |
| Count | 101 | 115 | 13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Krzys bearers went from 101 to 115 (+13.9% change). The surname moved up 13,955 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #145,757.
FAQ
Krzys surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Krzys?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Krzys. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Krzys?
Krzys ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Krzys. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Krzys.
Has Krzys become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Krzys went from 101 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 14 (+13.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Krzys?
Among Census respondents with the surname Krzys, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Krzys in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Krzys appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (5.2%), Black (3.5%). 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 Krzys (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 Krzys mean?
A Polish surname derived from the Polish form of the name Christopher. 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 Krzys (0.04 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 Krzys?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Krzys, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.