2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Posnick
An occupational surname derived from a Polish word meaning a messenger or courier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Posnick. 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 Posnick 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 Posnick 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 Posnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Posnick
The surname Posnick is believed to have originated in Poland, with roots dating back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "pozna," which means "to know" or "to recognize," suggesting a connection to someone who was known for their wisdom or knowledge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Posnick surname can be found in the records of the town of Krakow, where a Jakub Posnick was listed as a resident in 1598. This suggests that the name was present in the region during that time period.
In the 17th century, the Posnick name began to spread beyond Poland's borders, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in neighboring countries such as Germany and Russia. This was likely due to migration patterns and the movement of people during times of war or economic hardship.
A notable figure from history with the Posnick surname was Jan Posnick, a Polish scholar and author who lived from 1678 to 1744. He was renowned for his work on Polish history and literature, and his writings were widely read and respected during his lifetime.
Another individual of note was Katarzyna Posnick, a Polish noblewoman who lived in the late 18th century. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support of various charitable causes, particularly those related to education and the arts.
In the 19th century, the Posnick surname continued to spread, with records showing individuals bearing the name in countries such as the United States and Canada. One notable figure from this time period was Stanislaw Posnick, a Polish-American artist who was born in 1832 and became known for his landscape paintings of the American West.
Another individual of note was Kazimierz Posnick, a Polish mathematician and academic who lived from 1856 to 1912. He made significant contributions to the field of geometry and was widely respected within the academic community.
As the 20th century approached, the Posnick surname continued to be found in various parts of the world, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in fields such as science, literature, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Posnick
Among Census respondents with the surname Posnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Posnick 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 Posnick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Posnick
Posnick 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
-5 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 11,414 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-13 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,800 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | -5 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 11,414 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 13,800 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 Posnick 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 | #128,249 | #142,049 | -10.8% |
| Count | 133 | 120 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Posnick bearers went from 133 to 120 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 13,800 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #142,049.
FAQ
Posnick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Posnick?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Posnick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Posnick?
Posnick 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 Posnick. 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 Posnick.
Has Posnick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Posnick went from 133 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 13 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Posnick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Posnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Posnick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Posnick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%), Black (1.7%). 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 Posnick (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 Posnick mean?
An occupational surname derived from a Polish word meaning a messenger or courier. 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 Posnick (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 common is the surname Posnick?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Posnick at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.