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

Owczarzak, 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 Owczarzak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Owczarzak in America

Owczarzak is the 45412th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Owczarzak surname appeared 471 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 Owczarzak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Owczarzak 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 Owczarzak

The surname Owczarzak has its origins in Poland, tracing back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Polish word "owczarz," meaning "shepherd" or "sheepherder." This occupation-based surname would have initially been given to individuals whose primary livelihood involved tending to flocks of sheep.

The earliest known record of the Owczarzak name appears in a document from the city of Krakow, dated 1472. This document mentions a certain Jan Owczarzak, who was a resident of the area at that time. Another early reference is found in a land registry from the village of Owczarza, located near the town of Sandomierz, dated 1509. This registry lists several families with the surname Owczarzak, suggesting the name was already well-established in that region.

Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the Owczarzak name can be found in various historical records from different parts of Poland, particularly in the regions of Lesser Poland, Masovia, and Silesia. Many of these records were related to land ownership, taxation, and legal proceedings.

One notable individual bearing the Owczarzak surname was Tomasz Owczarzak, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Lublin during the late 16th century. Another was Maciej Owczarzak, a respected scholar and professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, who was born in 1612 and died in 1684.

In the 18th century, the Owczarzak name gained prominence in the region of Greater Poland, with several families of that surname residing in the towns of Poznań and Kalisz. One of these was Józef Owczarzak, a respected lawyer and judge who lived from 1723 to 1798.

Another notable figure was Franciszek Owczarzak, a Polish patriot and military officer who fought in the Kościuszko Uprising against the Russian Empire in 1794. He was born in the village of Owczarzy, near the city of Łódź, in 1768 and died in battle in 1794.

During the 19th century, the Owczarzak surname continued to be found across various regions of Poland, with many families migrating to larger cities and industrial centers as the country underwent significant social and economic changes.

Throughout its history, the Owczarzak surname has remained closely tied to its pastoral origins, with many individuals bearing this name likely having ancestors who were involved in shepherding or other agricultural pursuits. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its connection to the Polish word "owczarz" has endured for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Owczarzak

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

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

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

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