2000
#9,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,307
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Orlowski
A Polish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "of or from Orłowo/Orłów," referring to several villages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,486 Americans carry the last name Orlowski. That puts it at #10,105 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,323 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Orlowski 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 Orlowski with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,323
Census rank
#10,105
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,040 bearers of the surname Orlowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10105th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Orlowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Orlowski
The surname Orlowski is of Polish origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period in the region now known as Poland. The name is derived from the Polish word "orl," which means "eagle," and the suffix "-owski," indicating a possessive form or a place of origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orlowski can be found in historical documents from the 14th century, where it was typically associated with individuals living in or around the town of Orlow, located in the present-day Mazowieckie province of Poland. The name may have initially referred to someone who lived near an area known for its eagles or had some connection to these majestic birds.
In the 15th century, the name Orlowski appeared in various records and manuscripts from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which at the time encompassed a vast territory stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. The name was often associated with members of the Polish nobility or gentry, indicating a possible link to landed estates or noble lineages.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Orlowski name gained prominence, and several notable individuals bearing this surname emerged. One such figure was Jan Orlowski (1510-1568), a Polish nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the wars against the Teutonic Knights and the Muscovite forces.
Another prominent individual with the surname Orlowski was Stanislaw Orlowski (1677-1737), a Polish priest and theologian who served as the Bishop of Poznan and later became the Archbishop of Gniezno, one of the most important ecclesiastical positions in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
In the 19th century, the Orlowski name continued to be associated with influential figures in Polish society. Kazimierz Orlowski (1811-1887) was a renowned Polish historian and professor at the University of Warsaw, known for his contributions to the study of Polish history and culture.
Wladyslaw Orlowski (1834-1916) was a Polish painter and artist who gained recognition for his landscape and genre paintings, which captured the essence of rural life in Poland during the late 19th century.
As the Orlowski surname spread across Poland and beyond, it became associated with various professions, including academics, artists, and professionals in various fields. While the name may have originated from a specific geographic location or connection to eagles, it has since evolved to represent a rich cultural heritage and a diverse range of achievements by individuals bearing this distinctive Polish surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Orlowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Orlowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Orlowski 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 Orlowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 2,899
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 57
- Two or more races1.6% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Orlowski
Orlowski 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
#10,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,208
-99 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 957 places
2020
#10,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,040
-168 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 64 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,084 | 3,307 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,041 | 3,208 | 1.09 | -99 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 957 places |
| 2020 | #10,105 | 3,040 | 1.02 | -168 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 64 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 Orlowski 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 | #10,041 | #10,105 | -0.6% |
| Count | 3,208 | 3,040 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.02 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Orlowski bearers went from 3,208 to 3,040 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 64 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,041 to #10,105.
FAQ
Orlowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Orlowski?
Name Census estimates that about 3,486 living Americans carry the surname Orlowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,323 residents.
How common is Orlowski?
Orlowski ranks #10,105 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,040 people with the surname Orlowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,486), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Orlowski.
Has Orlowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Orlowski went from 3,208 recorded bearers to 3,040. That is a decrease of 168 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,041 to #10,105.
What does the Census say about the background of Orlowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Orlowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Orlowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (2,899 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Orlowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Hispanic (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Orlowski (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 Orlowski mean?
A Polish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "of or from Orłowo/Orłów," referring to several villages. 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 Orlowski (1.02 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 Americans have the surname Orlowski?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.