2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kulesz
A surname of Polish origin meaning a person with a disability or limp.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Kulesz. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kulesz 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Kulesz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulesz, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kulesz
The surname Kulesz has its roots in Poland, where it emerged in the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the Polish word "kulesz," which referred to a person with a limp or a physical disability involving the leg or foot. This name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with such a condition.
In the 14th century, the name Kulesz appeared in various historical records and documents from the regions of Wielkopolska and Mazowsze in central and eastern Poland. Some of the earliest recorded instances include a reference to a landowner named Jakub Kulesz in the town of Gniezno in 1367, and a mention of a merchant named Stanislaw Kulesz in the city of Płock in 1392.
Over the centuries, the name Kulesz experienced several variations in spelling, including Kulesh, Kuliesh, and Kuliesz. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the way the name was transcribed by scribes in different areas.
One notable individual bearing the Kulesz surname was Jan Kulesz (1469-1537), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Teutonic War and the Muscovite-Lithuanian Wars of the early 16th century. He was renowned for his bravery and strategic skills on the battlefield.
Another prominent figure was Katarzyna Kulesz (1550-1618), a wealthy landowner and benefactor from the Lublin region. She was renowned for her philanthropic efforts, including funding the construction of a church and a hospital in the town of Lubartów.
In the 17th century, the Kulesz family gained prominence in the Podlasie region, where they owned extensive estates and played a significant role in local affairs. One notable member was Andrzej Kulesz (1612-1678), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the regional court in Bielsk Podlaski.
During the 18th century, the Kulesz name was also found in the Galicia region, which at the time was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Franciszek Kulesz (1727-1802), a Catholic priest and theologian from Lviv, published several influential works on religious philosophy and ethics.
Another noteworthy individual was Józef Kulesz (1788-1862), a renowned painter and artist from Warsaw. His works, which often depicted scenes from Polish history and folklore, were widely exhibited and celebrated during his lifetime.
Throughout its history, the surname Kulesz has been deeply rooted in Polish culture and society, with individuals from various walks of life making significant contributions in fields such as military, law, religion, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kulesz
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulesz, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kulesz 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 Kulesz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.9% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
- Two or more races5.5% · 6
- Black or African American3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kulesz
Kulesz 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,358 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,358 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 5,305 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 Kulesz 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 | #144,141 | #149,446 | -3.7% |
| Count | 115 | 110 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kulesz bearers went from 115 to 110 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 5,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #149,446.
FAQ
Kulesz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kulesz?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Kulesz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Kulesz?
Kulesz ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Kulesz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Kulesz.
Has Kulesz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kulesz went from 115 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Kulesz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulesz, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Kulesz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kulesz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.9%), Hispanic (7.3%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Kulesz (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 Kulesz mean?
A surname of Polish origin meaning a person with a disability or limp. 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 Kulesz (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 share the surname Kulesz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.