Find out how popular the last name Olkowski is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Olkowski.

Olkowski, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Olkowski surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Olkowski in America

Olkowski is the 39486th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Olkowski surname appeared 557 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Olkowski.

We can also compare 2010 data for Olkowski to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Olkowski

The surname Olkowski is of Polish origin, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Polish word "olcha," which means "alder," a type of tree commonly found in Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe.

Olkowski is a toponymic surname, meaning that it originated from a place name. In this case, it is likely that the name refers to a person who lived near an alder tree or in an area where alder trees were abundant. The suffix "-owski" indicates a possessive form, suggesting that the name could have been associated with a specific location or estate owned by an individual or family.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Olkowski surname can be found in the Polish town of Olkusz, located in the historic Lesser Poland region. This town's name is derived from the same root word as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the alder tree.

During the 16th century, a notable figure named Jan Olkowski was a prominent scholar and writer who authored several works on Polish history and culture. He was born in 1540 and is considered one of the earliest known individuals to bear the Olkowski surname.

In the 18th century, a Polish nobleman named Kazimierz Olkowski played a significant role in the Polish resistance against the Russian Empire's occupation of Poland. He was born in 1725 and is remembered for his bravery and leadership during the uprising.

Another prominent individual with the Olkowski surname was Stanislaw Olkowski, a Polish artist who lived in the 19th century. He was born in 1810 and is renowned for his landscape paintings, which captured the beauty of the Polish countryside and its natural scenery, including alder trees.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Polish immigrants bearing the Olkowski surname settled in various parts of the United States, particularly in cities with large Polish communities, such as Chicago, New York, and Detroit. One notable figure from this era was Maria Olkowski, a Polish-American author and activist who fought for women's rights and advocated for the preservation of Polish culture and traditions. She was born in 1875 and played a crucial role in the Polish-American community.

Throughout its history, the Olkowski surname has been associated with various spellings and variations, such as Olkowska (the feminine form), Olkowski, and Olkowicz, among others. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remain rooted in the alder tree and its connection to specific locations in Poland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Olkowski

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Olkowski.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Olkowski was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Olkowski has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Olkowski was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Olkowski, please contact us.

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