2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Owsinski
A Polish surname derived from "owies" (oats), possibly referring to an occupation related to growing or processing oats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Owsinski. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Owsinski 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Owsinski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Owsinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Owsinski
The surname Owsinski is of Polish origin, originating in the late medieval period around the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "owies," meaning "oats," suggesting that the name may have referred to an occupation or location associated with the cultivation or trading of oats.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Owsinski can be found in historical records from various regions of Poland, including the areas around Krakow, Poznan, and Warsaw. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Jan Owsinski, a landowner and farmer mentioned in a land registry document dated 1492 from the village of Owsiniec near Poznan.
In the 16th century, the Owsinski surname appeared in several Polish noble family records, indicating that some bearers of the name had achieved a certain level of prominence and status. One notable figure was Stanislaw Owsinski (1554-1629), a Polish nobleman and military commander who served under King Sigismund III Vasa during the Polish-Swedish War.
The name Owsinski also appeared in various historical manuscripts and records from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as church registers, tax records, and land deeds. These sources provide valuable insights into the geographical distribution and social standing of families bearing the surname during that time period.
One noteworthy individual was Jakub Owsinski (1679-1743), a renowned scholar and philosopher who taught at the University of Krakow and authored several influential works on moral philosophy and ethics.
Another prominent figure was Franciszek Owsinski (1785-1856), a Polish military officer and engineer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent architect, designing several landmark buildings in Warsaw.
In the 19th century, the Owsinski surname continued to be well-represented among Polish intellectuals, artists, and professionals. Kazimierz Owsinski (1832-1901) was a celebrated Polish painter and art instructor who was renowned for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting everyday life in rural Poland.
As the Owsinski surname spread across Poland and beyond, it underwent various spellings and regional variations, such as Owsiński, Owsinsky, and Owsiński, reflecting the linguistic diversity and regional dialects of the Polish language.
While the Owsinski surname is relatively uncommon outside of Poland and Polish diaspora communities, it has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and history associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Owsinski
Among Census respondents with the surname Owsinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Owsinski 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 Owsinski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Owsinski
Owsinski 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
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+9 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,770 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 10,770 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 Owsinski 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 | #160,975 | #150,205 | 6.7% |
| Count | 100 | 109 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Owsinski bearers went from 100 to 109 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 10,770 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #150,205.
FAQ
Owsinski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Owsinski?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Owsinski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Owsinski?
Owsinski ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Owsinski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Owsinski.
Has Owsinski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Owsinski went from 100 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 9 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Owsinski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Owsinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Owsinski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Owsinski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Owsinski (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 Owsinski mean?
A Polish surname derived from "owies" (oats), possibly referring to an occupation related to growing or processing oats. 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 Owsinski (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 people are called Owsinski?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Owsinski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.