2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Osmolinski
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive form of the name Osmoła.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Osmolinski. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Osmolinski 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Osmolinski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Osmolinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Osmolinski
The surname Osmolinski is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Kujawsko-Pomorskie, which was historically part of the Kingdom of Poland. The name Osmolinski is derived from the Polish word "osmola," meaning "pitch" or "resin," suggesting a possible occupational connection to trades involving these substances.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Osmolinski surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Bydgoszcz, dating back to the mid-16th century. These records document a family bearing the name Osmolinski residing in the area during that time. Additionally, the name appears in various Polish genealogical records and chronicles from subsequent centuries, indicating its continued presence across different regions of the country.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Osmolinski surname was Jan Osmolinski, a prominent Polish military commander who served during the Polish-Swedish wars. He played a significant role in defending the city of Kraków against Swedish forces in 1655. Another historical figure was Michał Osmolinski, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the late 18th century and contributed to the intellectual discourse of the Polish Enlightenment.
Moving into the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the Osmolinski surname was Wojciech Osmolinski, a celebrated Polish novelist and playwright. Born in 1828, his literary works explored themes of social injustice and national identity, earning him widespread recognition within Polish literary circles.
In the 20th century, the Osmolinski name gained further prominence with the birth of Jerzy Osmolinski in 1915. He was a highly regarded Polish journalist and writer who covered significant events such as World War II and the Polish resistance movement. His memoirs and accounts of that period are considered invaluable historical documents.
Throughout history, the Osmolinski surname has been closely associated with various regions of Poland, particularly the areas of Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Wielkopolska, and Mazowieckie. While variations in spelling have occurred over time, such as Osmolinski, Osmolenski, and Osmolewski, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Osmolinski
Among Census respondents with the surname Osmolinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Osmolinski 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 Osmolinski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Osmolinski
Osmolinski appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+11 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,287 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 10,287 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 Osmolinski 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 | #156,044 | #145,757 | 6.6% |
| Count | 104 | 115 | 10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Osmolinski bearers went from 104 to 115 (+10.6% change). The surname moved up 10,287 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #145,757.
FAQ
Osmolinski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Osmolinski?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Osmolinski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Osmolinski?
Osmolinski ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Osmolinski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Osmolinski.
Has Osmolinski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Osmolinski went from 104 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 11 (+10.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Osmolinski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Osmolinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Osmolinski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Osmolinski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Black (3.5%). 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 Osmolinski (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 Osmolinski mean?
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive form of the name Osmoła. 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 Osmolinski (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 many Americans have the surname Osmolinski?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.