2000
#20,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,210
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Kulikowski
A Polish surname derived from a word meaning "sphere-maker" or "ball-maker".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,230 Americans carry the last name Kulikowski. That puts it at #24,318 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 278,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kulikowski 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
1.2K
1 in 278,662
Census rank
#24,318
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,073 bearers of the surname Kulikowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24318th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulikowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kulikowski
The surname Kulikowski is of Polish origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages in the region of Masovia, located in east-central Poland. It is derived from the Polish word "kulić," which means "to limp" or "to hobble," suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a distinctive gait or walk.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kulikowski surname can be found in the Metryka Koronna, a historical register of Polish nobility, which dates back to the 15th century. This document mentions a nobleman named Jakub Kulikowski, who lived in the town of Radom during the reign of King Casimir IV Jagiellon (1427-1492).
In the 16th century, the Kulikowski name appeared in the records of the town of Płock, situated on the Vistula River. A prominent individual bearing this surname was Jan Kulikowski, a merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the local community during the Polish Renaissance period.
The 17th century saw the Kulikowski family establish itself in the city of Poznań, where they acquired significant landholdings and became influential members of the local gentry. One notable figure from this era was Michał Kulikowski (1629-1697), a member of the Polish nobility who served as a magistrate and held various administrative positions in the Poznań region.
As the name spread across Poland, several notable individuals emerged, including the renowned Polish painter and art critic, Tadeusz Kulikowski (1885-1949), whose works were celebrated for their unique style and contribution to the development of modern Polish art.
Another prominent figure was Janusz Kulikowski (1914-1985), a Polish historian and author who specialized in the study of ancient Rome and made significant contributions to the understanding of Roman civilization and its impact on European culture.
It is worth mentioning that the Kulikowski surname has also been associated with several notable individuals in other countries, such as the Russian-born American physicist, Roman Kulikowski (1906-1997), who made important contributions to the field of plasma physics and the development of fusion energy research.
While the Kulikowski surname may have originated as a nickname, it has evolved over the centuries to become a respected and well-established name in Polish history and culture, with its bearers making significant contributions in various fields, including art, literature, and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kulikowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulikowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kulikowski 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 Kulikowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 1,007
- Two or more races3.4% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 15
- Black or African American0.8% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kulikowski
Kulikowski 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
#21,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,231
+21 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Down 875 places
2020
#24,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,073
-158 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 3,030 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,413 | 1,210 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,288 | 1,231 | 0.42 | +21 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 875 places |
| 2020 | #24,318 | 1,073 | 0.36 | -158 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 3,030 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 Kulikowski 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 | #21,288 | #24,318 | -14.2% |
| Count | 1,231 | 1,073 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.42 | 0.36 | -14.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kulikowski bearers went from 1,231 to 1,073 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 3,030 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,288 to #24,318.
FAQ
Kulikowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kulikowski?
Name Census estimates that about 1,230 living Americans carry the surname Kulikowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 278,662 residents.
How common is Kulikowski?
Kulikowski ranks #24,318 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.36 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 1,073 people with the surname Kulikowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,230), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.36 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 Kulikowski.
Has Kulikowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kulikowski went from 1,231 recorded bearers to 1,073. That is a decrease of 158 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,288 to #24,318.
What does the Census say about the background of Kulikowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulikowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Kulikowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (1,007 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kulikowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Kulikowski (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 Kulikowski mean?
A Polish surname derived from a word meaning "sphere-maker" or "ball-maker". 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 Kulikowski (0.36 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 are called Kulikowski?
You can see how many people have the last name Kulikowski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.