2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Minkowski
A habitational name for someone from any of several places named with a Slavic word meaning "mill stream".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Minkowski. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Minkowski 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Minkowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Minkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Minkowski
The surname Minkowski originated in Poland, and its history can be traced back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "mianka," which means "little village" or "hamlet." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely inhabitants of a small settlement or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Minkowski name appears in the Polish Church records from the late 16th century, specifically in the town of Krakow. During this time, the name was spelled in various ways, such as Minkowsky, Minkowskie, and Minkowicz, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling conventions.
In the 17th century, the Minkowski family established a presence in the city of Warsaw, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable figure was Jan Minkowski (1635-1702), a merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the city's economic development.
The 18th century saw the Minkowski name spread further across Poland, with individuals bearing this surname found in various regions and cities. One notable example is Katarzyna Minkowska (1762-1837), a renowned artist and painter who gained recognition for her portraits and landscapes.
In the 19th century, the Minkowski family continued to contribute to various fields, including science and academia. Hermann Minkowski (1864-1909) was a German mathematician and physicist of Polish descent, best known for his groundbreaking work in the field of relativity and for introducing the concept of spacetime.
Another prominent figure was Oskar Minkowski (1858-1931), a German physician and pathologist of Polish ancestry. He made significant contributions to the study of diabetes and played a crucial role in the discovery of insulin.
Moving into the 20th century, the Minkowski name became more widely recognized globally. Rudolf Minkowski (1895-1976) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who made notable contributions to the understanding of schizophrenia and other mental disorders.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Minkowski surname throughout history, spanning various fields and disciplines. While the name originated in Poland, it has since spread across the world, with descendants of the Minkowski family making their mark in various countries and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Minkowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Minkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Minkowski 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 Minkowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Minkowski
Minkowski 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,881 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-12 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,199 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,881 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 11,199 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 Minkowski 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 | #141,140 | #152,339 | -7.9% |
| Count | 118 | 106 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Minkowski bearers went from 118 to 106 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 11,199 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #152,339.
FAQ
Minkowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Minkowski?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Minkowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Minkowski?
Minkowski ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Minkowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Minkowski.
Has Minkowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Minkowski went from 118 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Minkowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Minkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Minkowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Minkowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Minkowski (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 Minkowski mean?
A habitational name for someone from any of several places named with a Slavic word meaning "mill stream". 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 Minkowski (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 Minkowski?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.