2000
#7,991
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,836
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.42
Rare Last name
Nowakowski
Derived from a place name meaning "of Nowaki," referring to a person from any of various Polish villages called Nowaki.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,014 Americans carry the last name Nowakowski. That puts it at #8,974 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,390 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nowakowski 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 Nowakowski with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,390
Census rank
#8,974
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,500 bearers of the surname Nowakowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8974th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nowakowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nowakowski
The surname Nowakowski is of Polish origin, originating in the region of Wielkopolska, Poland. It is derived from the Polish word "nowy" meaning "new" and the suffix "-kowski" which indicates an association with a place name. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a newly established settlement or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Księga Ziemska Kaliska, a land record book from the 15th century, where a Stanisław Nowakowski is mentioned as a landowner in the Kalisz region. The name also appears in various church records and tax registers from the 16th and 17th centuries in the towns of Poznań, Gniezno, and Kalisz.
The Nowakowski name can be traced back to the medieval period, and it is possible that it was originally associated with a specific location or village that no longer exists or has changed its name over time. The name's popularity likely increased as Polish families migrated from rural areas to cities and urban centers.
Notable individuals with the surname Nowakowski include:
1. Jan Nowakowski (1610-1685), a Polish Catholic priest and philosopher who wrote extensively on ethics and metaphysics.
2. Zygmunt Nowakowski (1891-1963), a Polish painter and graphic artist known for his avant-garde works and contributions to the Młoda Polska (Young Poland) movement.
3. Tadeusz Nowakowski (1917-1996), a Polish writer and journalist who authored several novels and short stories depicting life in Warsaw during World War II.
4. Stefan Nowakowski (1892-1963), a Polish architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the Prudential Building and the Polish Theater.
5. Zofia Nowakowska (1886-1978), a Polish educator and women's rights activist who founded several educational institutions for girls in Warsaw and advocated for equal opportunities in education.
The surname Nowakowski has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, architects, and educators, reflecting the diverse contributions of those of Polish descent throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nowakowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Nowakowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nowakowski 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 Nowakowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 3,282
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 106
- Two or more races2.1% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 23
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nowakowski
Nowakowski 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
#8,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,717
-119 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 817 places
2020
#8,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,500
-217 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 166 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,991 | 3,836 | 1.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,808 | 3,717 | 1.26 | -119 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 817 places |
| 2020 | #8,974 | 3,500 | 1.17 | -217 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 166 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 Nowakowski 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 | #8,808 | #8,974 | -1.9% |
| Count | 3,717 | 3,500 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.17 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nowakowski bearers went from 3,717 to 3,500 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 166 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,808 to #8,974.
FAQ
Nowakowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nowakowski?
Name Census estimates that about 4,014 living Americans carry the surname Nowakowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,390 residents.
How common is Nowakowski?
Nowakowski ranks #8,974 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,500 people with the surname Nowakowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,014), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nowakowski.
Has Nowakowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nowakowski went from 3,717 recorded bearers to 3,500. That is a decrease of 217 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,808 to #8,974.
What does the Census say about the background of Nowakowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nowakowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) 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 Nowakowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (3,282 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nowakowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (3.0%), 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 Nowakowski (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 Nowakowski mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "of Nowaki," referring to a person from any of various Polish villages called Nowaki. 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 Nowakowski (1.17 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 last name Nowakowski?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Nowakowski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.