2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Palucki
A Polish surname derived from the word "paluch," meaning "big toe."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Palucki. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Palucki 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Palucki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Palucki, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Palucki
The surname Palucki is of Polish origin, with its roots traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from a Polish village or town, where it was likely derived from a locational name. The name is thought to be a variation of the word "paluk," which means "stick" or "staff" in Polish.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Palucki can be found in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of historical legal documents from the 16th century. The documents mention a nobleman named Jan Palucki, who lived in the region of Lesser Poland (Małopolska) during that time.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various church records and tax registers across Poland. For example, a man named Maciej Palucki was documented as a landowner in the village of Rzeszów in 1632.
The surname Palucki is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Andrzej Palucki (1579-1648), a Polish poet and playwright who wrote numerous works in Latin and Polish. His plays were widely performed during the Renaissance period in Poland.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Ignacy Palucki (1794-1862), a Polish military officer who fought in the November Uprising against the Russian Empire. He later served as a general in the Polish insurgent forces.
In the 19th century, the Palucki family had a strong presence in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region of Poland. One member, Franciszek Palucki (1818-1892), was a respected landowner and philanthropist who donated significant funds for the establishment of schools and churches in the area.
During the 20th century, Stanisław Palucki (1901-1982) was a prominent Polish architect who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the Prudential building and the Polish Army Museum.
The surname Palucki has also been found in historical records outside of Poland, as Polish immigrants and their descendants have spread around the world over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Palucki
Among Census respondents with the surname Palucki, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Palucki 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 Palucki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 100
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Palucki
Palucki 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-6 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,160 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 14,160 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,113 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 Palucki 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 | #142,108 | #147,221 | -3.6% |
| Count | 117 | 113 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Palucki bearers went from 117 to 113 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #147,221.
FAQ
Palucki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Palucki?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Palucki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Palucki?
Palucki ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Palucki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Palucki.
Has Palucki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Palucki went from 117 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Palucki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Palucki, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (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 Palucki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Palucki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (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 Palucki (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 Palucki mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "paluch," meaning "big toe." 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 Palucki (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 have the last name Palucki?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Palucki at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.