2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Podlewski
A Polish surname derived from a town or place name containing the word "podlas" meaning "near the forest".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Podlewski. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Podlewski 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Podlewski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Podlewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Podlewski
The surname Podlewski originated in Poland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 15th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Polish word "Podlasie," which refers to the historical region of Podlasie located in eastern Poland and western Belarus.
During the Middle Ages, many Polish surnames were formed by adding the suffix "-ski" or "-cki" to the name of a place or region. In this case, the name Podlewski likely indicates that the original bearers of this surname hailed from the Podlasie region.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Podlewski was Jan Podlewski, a nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 16th century. Records show that he owned several estates in the Podlasie region.
In the 17th century, the name Podlewski appeared in various historical documents, including court records and municipal records from towns and villages in eastern Poland. One notable figure was Tomasz Podlewski, a Polish military officer who fought in the Polish-Swedish War of 1655-1660.
During the 18th century, the Podlewski surname continued to spread throughout Poland and neighboring regions. One prominent individual was Franciszek Podlewski, a Polish philosopher and writer who lived from 1720 to 1789. His works explored topics in ethics, metaphysics, and political philosophy.
In the 19th century, several members of the Podlewski family made significant contributions to Polish culture and society. Among them was Stanisław Podlewski, a renowned painter and art educator who lived from 1808 to 1879. His paintings captured scenes from Polish history and folklore, and he played a crucial role in developing art education in Poland.
Another notable figure from this period was Maria Podlewski, a feminist activist and writer who lived from 1837 to 1908. She advocated for women's rights and education, and her writings helped shape the early feminist movement in Poland.
In the early 20th century, the Podlewski surname continued to be associated with various professions and fields. One example is Józef Podlewski, a Polish architect who lived from 1867 to 1935. He designed several notable buildings in Warsaw and other cities, contributing to the architectural landscape of Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Podlewski
Among Census respondents with the surname Podlewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Podlewski 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 Podlewski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.8% · 97
- Two or more races9.2% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Podlewski
Podlewski 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+6 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 3,360 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-21 bearers (-14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,735 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | +6 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 3,360 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-14.9%) | Down 19,735 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 Podlewski 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 | #122,314 | #142,049 | -16.1% |
| Count | 141 | 120 | -14.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Podlewski bearers went from 141 to 120 (-14.9% change). The surname moved down 19,735 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #142,049.
FAQ
Podlewski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Podlewski?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Podlewski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Podlewski?
Podlewski ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Podlewski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Podlewski.
Has Podlewski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Podlewski went from 141 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 21 (-14.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Podlewski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Podlewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Podlewski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Podlewski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.8%), Two or More Races (9.2%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Podlewski (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 Podlewski mean?
A Polish surname derived from a town or place name containing the word "podlas" meaning "near the forest". 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 Podlewski (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 Podlewski?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.