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

Opalinski, 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 Opalinski surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Opalinski in America

Opalinski is the 66164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Opalinski surname appeared 299 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 Opalinski.

We can also compare 2010 data for Opalinski 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 Opalinski

The surname Opalinski is of Polish origin, originating in the region of Opalenitz (modern-day Opalenica) in western Poland. The name itself is derived from the Polish word "opal," meaning "amber," and likely referred to a person who either lived near an amber deposit or worked with the material.

The earliest recorded mention of the Opalinski name dates back to the 13th century, when a nobleman named Jan Opalinski was mentioned in a document from the Duchy of Greater Poland. Over the centuries, the Opalinski family rose to prominence, with many members holding influential positions in the Polish nobility and government.

One of the most notable figures in the family's history was Łukasz Opaliński (1612-1662), a Polish nobleman, politician, and writer who served as the Grand Marshal of the Crown during the reign of King John II Casimir. He was a key figure in the Polish-Swedish War and is remembered for his literary works, including "Rozmowa Plebana z Ziemianinem" (Conversation of a Parish Priest with a Landowner), a satirical work criticizing the state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Another prominent Opalinski was Jan Karol Opaliński (1642-1695), a Polish military commander who played a significant role in the Polish-Ottoman War. He is remembered for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Vienna in 1683, where he commanded a contingent of Polish forces alongside the Holy Roman Empire and other allies against the Ottoman Empire.

In the 18th century, Franciszek Maksymilian Ossoliński (1676-1756), a member of the Opalinski family, served as the Grand Crown Chancellor of Poland and was a renowned patron of the arts and sciences. He founded the Ossolineum, one of the oldest and most prestigious libraries in Poland, which still exists today.

Andrzej Tomasz Opalinski (1712-1773) was a Polish nobleman, politician, and military leader who served as the Grand Marshal of the Crown and played a crucial role in the Bar Confederation, a military uprising against the increasing Russian influence in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Throughout the centuries, the Opalinski name has been associated with various estates and land holdings in western Poland, including the towns of Opalenica, Śmigiel, and Sieraków, where the family maintained significant influence and wealth.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Opalinski

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

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 Opalinski 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 Opalinski 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 Opalinski was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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