2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Powalisz
Polish surname indicating a person's geographic origin or place of residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Powalisz. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Powalisz 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Powalisz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Powalisz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Powalisz
The surname Powalisz is of Polish origin and can be traced back to at least the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Polish word "powalić," which means "to fell" or "to strike down." This suggests that the name may have been associated with occupations such as woodcutting or military service in its early history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Powalisz can be found in the parish records of the town of Kościan, located in the Greater Poland region of modern-day Poland. These records, dating back to the late 16th century, mention a Jan Powalisz who was a local landowner and farmer.
In the 17th century, the Powalisz name appeared in various court documents and land registers throughout the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This indicates that the family had gained some prominence and influence during this period. Among the notable individuals bearing this name was Jakub Powalisz, a wealthy merchant from the city of Gdańsk, who lived from 1620 to 1687.
The 18th century saw the Powalisz family continue to establish itself in various regions of Poland. One remarkable figure was Michał Powalisz (1742-1812), a renowned military officer who fought in the Polish-Russian War of 1792 and later joined the Polish Legions under Napoleon Bonaparte's command.
As the 19th century dawned, the Powalisz name could be found in various parts of the Polish lands, which were then divided among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Stanisław Powalisz (1811-1878), a prominent lawyer and political activist from the city of Poznań, played a significant role in the Polish National Movement during this period.
Another notable figure was Józef Powalisz (1866-1938), a Polish-American inventor and engineer who immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. He is best known for his contributions to the development of early electric motors and generators.
Throughout its history, the Powalisz surname has been subject to various spelling variations, such as Powalisch, Powalisz, and Powalisch. Additionally, there are records of the name being associated with certain place names, such as the village of Powalisz in the Łódź Voivodeship of central Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Powalisz
Among Census respondents with the surname Powalisz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Powalisz 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 Powalisz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino9.4% · 10
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Powalisz
Powalisz 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-18 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,247 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,705 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 27,247 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 3,705 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 Powalisz 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 | #156,044 | #152,339 | 2.4% |
| Count | 104 | 106 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Powalisz bearers went from 104 to 106 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 3,705 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #152,339.
FAQ
Powalisz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Powalisz?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Powalisz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Powalisz?
Powalisz ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Powalisz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Powalisz.
Has Powalisz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Powalisz went from 104 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Powalisz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Powalisz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Black (2.8%). 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 Powalisz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Powalisz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (9.4%), Black (2.8%). 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 Powalisz (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 Powalisz mean?
Polish surname indicating a person's geographic origin or place of residence. 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 Powalisz (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 are called Powalisz?
See how many people have the surname Powalisz on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.