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

Owczarek, 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 Owczarek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Owczarek in America

Owczarek is the 84136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Owczarek surname appeared 223 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 Owczarek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Owczarek 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 Owczarek

The surname OWCZAREK has its origins in Poland, where it first emerged in the 14th century. It is derived from the Polish word "owczarz," which means "shepherd" or "one who tends to sheep." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were involved in pastoral occupations, likely tending flocks of sheep in rural areas of the country.

OWCZAREK is a variation of the more common Polish surname OWCZARCZYK, which shares the same root. Both names are derived from the occupational term "owczarz," indicating a strong connection to the shepherding profession in their early history.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the OWCZAREK surname can be found in the records of the Polish city of Krakow, where a certain Jan Owczarek was mentioned in a document dated 1387. This provides evidence of the name's existence in the late Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, the OWCZAREK surname appears in the records of the town of Biecz, located in southern Poland. A man named Stanisław Owczarek was documented as residing in the town in 1529, further solidifying the name's presence in various regions of the country.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the OWCZAREK surname. Among them is Józef Owczarek (1850-1919), a Polish painter renowned for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting rural life. Another prominent figure was Franciszek Owczarek (1888-1940), a Polish military officer who served in World War I and later became a victim of the Katyn massacre during World War II.

Other noteworthy individuals with the OWCZAREK surname include Stanisław Owczarek (1888-1968), a Polish writer and journalist known for his contributions to the literary magazine "Wiadomości Literackie"; Jan Owczarek (1923-2005), a Polish actor and theater director; and Zygmunt Owczarek (1917-1988), a Polish footballer who played for several clubs in the interwar period.

While the OWCZAREK surname has its roots in the pastoral traditions of Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins remain firmly rooted in the historical occupations and cultural heritage of the Polish people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Owczarek

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

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

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

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