2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nogowski
A Polish surname derived from the word "noga" meaning leg or foot.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 151 Americans carry the last name Nogowski. That puts it at #133,220 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,269,896 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nogowski 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
151
1 in 2,269,896
Census rank
#133,220
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
132
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 132 bearers of the surname Nogowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 133220th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nogowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nogowski
The surname Nogowski is of Polish origin, emerging in the late 15th century. It is derived from the Polish word "noga," meaning "leg" or "foot," and the suffix "-owski," which denotes a place of origin or association with a particular location. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a place associated with legs or feet, possibly a landmark or a location with a distinctive geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nogowski surname dates back to 1498, found in the records of the town of Krakow. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appeared in various historical documents and records across different regions of Poland, indicating its widespread use.
A notable bearer of the Nogowski surname was Jan Nogowski, a Polish nobleman and military commander who lived in the late 16th century. He played a significant role in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's military campaigns against the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire.
Another historical figure with the Nogowski surname was Katarzyna Nogowska, a Polish writer and poet who lived in the 17th century. Her works, which explored themes of love and spirituality, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.
In the 18th century, the Nogowski surname was found in the records of the town of Poznan, where a prominent family of merchants and landowners bearing this name resided. One of their descendants, Mikolaj Nogowski, was a renowned philanthropist who made significant contributions to the local community.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Franciszek Nogowski, a renowned Polish sculptor and artist. Born in 1841, he was known for his intricate woodcarvings and religious sculptures, which adorned many churches and public buildings across Poland.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Nogowski surname gained recognition in the field of science and academia. Wladyslaw Nogowski, born in 1865, was a pioneering Polish biologist and geneticist who made significant contributions to the study of heredity and plant breeding.
Throughout history, the Nogowski surname has been associated with various place names and locations across Poland, reflecting the diverse origins and migrations of families bearing this name. While the exact origins remain somewhat obscure, the name's enduring presence in historical records highlights its deep roots in Polish culture and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nogowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Nogowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nogowski 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 Nogowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nogowski
Nogowski 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+21 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,463 places
2020
#133,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
-7 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,424 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 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +21 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 8,463 places |
| 2020 | #133,220 | 132 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 9,424 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 Nogowski 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 | #123,796 | #133,220 | -7.6% |
| Count | 139 | 132 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -11.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nogowski bearers went from 139 to 132 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 9,424 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #133,220.
FAQ
Nogowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nogowski?
Name Census estimates that about 151 living Americans carry the surname Nogowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,269,896 residents.
How common is Nogowski?
Nogowski ranks #133,220 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 132 people with the surname Nogowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (151), 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 Nogowski.
Has Nogowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nogowski went from 139 recorded bearers to 132. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #133,220.
What does the Census say about the background of Nogowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nogowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Nogowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (128 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nogowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Hispanic (2.3%), Black (0.8%). 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 Nogowski (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 Nogowski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "noga" meaning leg or foot. 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 Nogowski (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 are called Nogowski?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Nogowski is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.