2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Molaski
A surname derived from a geographic place name, possibly of Polish origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 110 Americans carry the last name Molaski. That puts it at #156,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,115,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Molaski 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
110
1 in 3,115,949
Census rank
#156,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 96 bearers of the surname Molaski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Molaski, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Molaski
The surname Molaski originated in Poland, emerging in the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "molak," which referred to a person from the region of Malopolska (Lesser Poland). The name likely evolved from a descriptive nickname given to someone who hailed from that area.
Molaski is a variation of the more common Polish surname Malecki, which shares the same root. The earliest documented instance of the Molaski spelling dates back to 1598 in the town of Krakow, where a record mentions a merchant named Jan Molaski.
During the 17th century, the name appeared in various historical documents across Malopolska, particularly in the cities of Krakow, Tarnow, and Nowy Sacz. One notable figure from this period was Tomasz Molaski (1632-1701), a respected lawyer and landowner in the village of Strzyzow.
In the 19th century, the Molaski name gained prominence with the birth of Wladyslaw Molaski (1827-1901), a renowned poet and playwright who pioneered the use of the Malopolska dialect in his works. His contributions to Polish literature earned him recognition across the country.
Another distinguished individual bearing the Molaski surname was Stanislaw Molaski (1854-1923), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Warsaw, including the Polish National Opera House and the Warsaw Philharmonic.
The Molaski name also has ties to the region of Silesia, where it was sometimes spelled as "Molawski" or "Molawsky." One noteworthy figure from this area was Kazimierz Molawski (1879-1952), a pioneering aviator and one of the first aircraft designers in Poland.
Throughout history, the Molaski surname has remained closely associated with its Polish roots, particularly in the regions of Malopolska and Silesia. While not an extremely common name, it has produced several notable individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from literature and architecture to aviation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Molaski
Among Census respondents with the surname Molaski, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Molaski 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 Molaski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Molaski
Molaski 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,225 places
2020
#156,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96
-8 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 496 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 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 13,225 places |
| 2020 | #156,540 | 96 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 496 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 Molaski 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 | #156,044 | #156,540 | -0.3% |
| Count | 104 | 96 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Molaski bearers went from 104 to 96 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 496 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #156,540.
FAQ
Molaski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Molaski?
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the surname Molaski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,115,949 residents.
How common is Molaski?
Molaski ranks #156,540 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 96 people with the surname Molaski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (110), 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 Molaski.
Has Molaski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Molaski went from 104 recorded bearers to 96. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #156,044 to #156,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Molaski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Molaski, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (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 Molaski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Molaski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Hispanic (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 Molaski (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 Molaski mean?
A surname derived from a geographic place name, possibly of Polish origin. 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 Molaski (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 surname Molaski?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.