2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Panczak
A Polish surname likely derived from the Polish word "pan" meaning "lord" or "master".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Panczak. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Panczak 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Panczak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Panczak, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Panczak
The surname Panczak is of Polish origin, originating in the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "panczak," which means "a small loaf of bread." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a baker or someone involved in the baking trade.
The earliest recorded instance of the Panczak surname appears in the 1564 census records of the town of Krakow, Poland. At that time, the name was spelled "Panczak." Over the centuries, the spelling has remained relatively consistent, with minor variations such as "Panczack" or "Pańczak."
In the 17th century, the Panczak name can be found in records from the villages of Tarnow and Rzeszow, located in southern Poland. This suggests that the name was prevalent in this region during that time period.
One notable individual bearing the Panczak surname was Jan Panczak (1628-1701), a Polish nobleman and landowner who owned vast estates in the Lublin region. Records indicate that he was a prominent figure in local politics and was involved in various disputes over land rights.
Another historical figure was Katarzyna Panczak (1765-1842), a Polish writer and poet who published a collection of poems titled "Wiersze Wiejskie" (Village Verses) in 1819. Her work was celebrated for its depiction of rural life and the struggles of the Polish peasantry.
In the 19th century, the Panczak name can be found in records from the city of Poznan, where a family of Panczaks owned a successful bakery business. This further reinforces the connection between the name and the baking trade.
Another notable individual was Józef Panczak (1876-1942), a Polish engineer and inventor who held several patents for mechanical devices. He is known for his work on early prototypes of the modern dishwasher.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, Zofia Panczak (1901-1978) was a prominent Polish artist and painter. Her works, which often depicted scenes of rural life and landscapes, were widely exhibited and are now held in several museum collections across Poland.
Throughout its history, the Panczak surname has maintained a strong connection to its Polish roots and the baking trade. While the name has spread to other parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to the 16th century in southern Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Panczak
Among Census respondents with the surname Panczak, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Panczak 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 Panczak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 4
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Panczak
Panczak 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-12 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,606 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,814 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 18,606 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 6,814 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 Panczak 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 | #141,140 | #147,954 | -4.8% |
| Count | 118 | 112 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Panczak bearers went from 118 to 112 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 6,814 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,954.
FAQ
Panczak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Panczak?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Panczak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Panczak?
Panczak ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Panczak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Panczak.
Has Panczak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Panczak went from 118 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Panczak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Panczak, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Panczak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Panczak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Panczak (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 Panczak mean?
A Polish surname likely derived from the Polish word "pan" meaning "lord" or "master". 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 Panczak (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 surname Panczak?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.