2000
#1,777
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,515
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.86
Uncommon Last name
Nowak
A Polish occupational surname referring to a person who first settled on uncultivated land or a new field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,982 Americans carry the last name Nowak. That puts it at #1,929 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,336 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nowak 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nowak with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,336
Census rank
#1,929
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,297 bearers of the surname Nowak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1929th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nowak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nowak
The surname NOWAK is of Polish origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Polish word "nowy," meaning "new," and likely referred to someone who was a newcomer to a particular area or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname NOWAK can be found in the Liber Beneficiorum, a 15th-century document detailing the distribution of church benefices in the Archdiocese of Gniezno, Poland. The name appears in various spellings, such as Nowak, Novak, and Novacky, reflecting regional variations.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the NOWAK surname gained prominence in various parts of Poland, particularly in the regions of Wielkopolska, Małopolska, and Silesia. Several notable individuals bearing this name emerged during this period, including Jan NOWAK (1546-1612), a Polish jurist and diplomat who served as a royal secretary to King Sigismund III Vasa.
The 18th century saw the rise of another prominent figure with the NOWAK surname, Tadeusz NOWAK (1738-1805), a Polish poet and playwright who is considered one of the pioneers of the Polish Enlightenment literature. His works, such as "The Peasant's Revenge" and "The Aristocrat's Shame," addressed social issues and advocated for reforms.
In the 19th century, the NOWAK surname gained international recognition through the work of Wacław NOWAK (1828-1893), a Polish writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Polish independence movement. His writings helped shape the national consciousness and inspired generations of Polish patriots.
Another notable individual with the NOWAK surname was Józef NOWAK (1865-1948), a Polish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of aviation. He designed and built several early aircraft prototypes, including the Nowak N-1, one of the first successful biplane designs in Poland.
The 20th century brought forth several more prominent figures bearing the NOWAK surname, such as Kazimierz NOWAK (1897-1937), a Polish military officer and politician who played a crucial role in the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921, and Jerzy NOWAK (1923-1971), a renowned Polish actor and theater director.
Throughout its history, the NOWAK surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, politicians, and military leaders. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Poland, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by Polish emigrants and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nowak
Among Census respondents with the surname Nowak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nowak 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 Nowak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 17,218
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 485
- Two or more races2.1% · 376
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 112
- Black or African American0.4% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nowak
Nowak 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
#1,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,891
+376 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 6.40
Rank movement Down 125 places
2020
#1,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,297
-594 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 6.12
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,777 | 18,515 | 6.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,902 | 18,891 | 6.40 | +376 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 125 places |
| 2020 | #1,929 | 18,297 | 6.12 | -594 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 27 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 Nowak 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 | #1,902 | #1,929 | -1.4% |
| Count | 18,891 | 18,297 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 6.40 | 6.12 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nowak bearers went from 18,891 to 18,297 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,902 to #1,929.
FAQ
Nowak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nowak?
Name Census estimates that about 20,982 living Americans carry the surname Nowak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,336 residents.
How common is Nowak?
Nowak ranks #1,929 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,297 people with the surname Nowak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,982), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Nowak.
Has Nowak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nowak went from 18,891 recorded bearers to 18,297. That is a decrease of 594 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,902 to #1,929.
What does the Census say about the background of Nowak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nowak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Nowak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (17,218 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nowak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Nowak (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 Nowak mean?
A Polish occupational surname referring to a person who first settled on uncultivated land or a new field. 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 Nowak (6.12 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 Nowak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.