2000
#13,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,055
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Pietrzak
Derived from the Polish word "pietrzak," referring to a person who cultivates or sells parsley or other herbs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,134 Americans carry the last name Pietrzak. That puts it at #15,196 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 160,616 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pietrzak 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pietrzak with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 160,616
Census rank
#15,196
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,861 bearers of the surname Pietrzak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15196th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pietrzak, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pietrzak
The surname Pietrzak has its origins in Poland, tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Polish personal name Piotr, which itself comes from the Greek name Petros, meaning "rock" or "stone." The suffix "-ak" is a common patronymic ending in Polish surnames, indicating the name belonged to the "son of" or "family of" Piotr.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pietrzak surname can be found in the Akta Metrykalne, a collection of historical records from the Diocesan Archives in Poland, dating back to the 16th century. These records mention a Jakub Pietrzak, born in the village of Stopnica in 1587.
The name Pietrzak has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 18th century, Andrzej Pietrzak (1723-1797) was a renowned Polish painter and artist, known for his religious works and portraits. Another prominent individual was Józef Pietrzak (1832-1908), a Polish poet and writer who contributed to the development of Polish literature during the Romantic period.
During the 19th century, the Pietrzak surname gained prominence in the Krakow region of southern Poland. One notable figure from this area was Stanisław Pietrzak (1853-1924), a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Galician Diet, representing the city of Krakow.
In the 20th century, Władysław Pietrzak (1907-1982) was a Polish military officer and resistance fighter who played a significant role during World War II. He served in the Polish Underground State and was awarded the Virtuti Militari, Poland's highest military decoration, for his bravery and service.
Another notable figure with the Pietrzak surname was Jan Pietrzak (1913-1988), a Polish actor and comedian who gained widespread popularity for his satirical performances and social commentary during the communist era in Poland.
While the Pietrzak surname has its roots firmly in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above highlight the significance of this surname within the context of Polish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pietrzak
Among Census respondents with the surname Pietrzak, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pietrzak 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 Pietrzak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,728
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 61
- Two or more races2.9% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pietrzak
Pietrzak 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
#14,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,044
-11 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 1,017 places
2020
#15,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,861
-183 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 625 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,554 | 2,055 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,571 | 2,044 | 0.69 | -11 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 1,017 places |
| 2020 | #15,196 | 1,861 | 0.62 | -183 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 625 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 Pietrzak 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 | #14,571 | #15,196 | -4.3% |
| Count | 2,044 | 1,861 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.62 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pietrzak bearers went from 2,044 to 1,861 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 625 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,571 to #15,196.
FAQ
Pietrzak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pietrzak?
Name Census estimates that about 2,134 living Americans carry the surname Pietrzak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 160,616 residents.
How common is Pietrzak?
Pietrzak ranks #15,196 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,861 people with the surname Pietrzak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pietrzak.
Has Pietrzak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pietrzak went from 2,044 recorded bearers to 1,861. That is a decrease of 183 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,571 to #15,196.
What does the Census say about the background of Pietrzak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pietrzak, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Pietrzak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,728 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pietrzak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Pietrzak (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 Pietrzak mean?
Derived from the Polish word "pietrzak," referring to a person who cultivates or sells parsley or other herbs. 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 Pietrzak (0.62 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 Pietrzak?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.