2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Olesinski
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Aleksander.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Olesinski. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Olesinski 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Olesinski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Olesinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Olesinski
The surname Olesinski has its origins in Poland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "olesnik," which refers to a person who lived near an alder grove or worked with alder wood. The name is believed to have originated in the regions of Małopolska and Silesia, where alder trees were abundant.
Olesinski is a toponymic surname, meaning it is derived from a place name. In this case, it likely originated from a village or town with a name related to alder trees, such as Oleszno or Oleszyce. These place names can be found in various historical records and medieval manuscripts from the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Olesinski surname dates back to 1564, when a certain Jan Olesinski was mentioned in a land registry document from the town of Tarnów, located in southern Poland. Another notable early reference is found in the 1629 parish records of the village of Żywiec, where a family by the name of Olesinski is listed among the local residents.
Throughout history, several individuals bearing the Olesinski surname have left their mark. One notable example is Jakub Olesinski (1639-1705), a Polish nobleman and military leader who fought against the Swedish invasion during the Second Northern War. Another prominent figure was Józef Olesinski (1777-1838), a Polish painter and engraver known for his portraits and historical scenes.
In the realm of literature, Władysław Olesinski (1810-1871) was a Polish poet and translator who contributed to the Romantic Movement. His contemporaries included the renowned Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Słowacki.
Moving into the 20th century, Zygmunt Olesinski (1891-1940) was a Polish lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Sejm, the Polish parliament, in the interwar period. Sadly, he perished during World War II at the hands of the Soviet secret police.
Another noteworthy individual was Janusz Olesinski (1916-1992), a Polish artist and sculptor known for his monumental public works, including the iconic Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Warsaw, unveiled in 1948.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the Olesinski surname, reflecting its deep roots and significance within Polish culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Olesinski
Among Census respondents with the surname Olesinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Olesinski 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 Olesinski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Olesinski
Olesinski 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-11 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,166 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,867 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 20,166 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 2,867 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 Olesinski 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 | #151,532 | #148,665 | 1.9% |
| Count | 108 | 111 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Olesinski bearers went from 108 to 111 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 2,867 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #148,665.
FAQ
Olesinski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Olesinski?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Olesinski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Olesinski?
Olesinski ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Olesinski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Olesinski.
Has Olesinski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Olesinski went from 108 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Olesinski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Olesinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Olesinski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Olesinski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Hispanic (1.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Olesinski (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 Olesinski mean?
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Aleksander. 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 Olesinski (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 common is the surname Olesinski?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Olesinski at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.