Find out how popular the last name Powalski is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Powalski.

Powalski, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Powalski surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Powalski in America

Powalski is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Powalski surname appeared 100 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Powalski.

The history of the last name Powalski

The surname Powalski has its origins in Poland, and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Polish word "powala," meaning "to fell" or "to knock down," and was likely originally used as a descriptive name for someone who worked as a woodcutter or in a similar occupation involving felling trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Powalski can be found in the Liber Beneficiorum, a manuscript from the 14th century that recorded the names of landowners and their properties in the region of Greater Poland. In this document, a man named Stanisław Powalski is listed as holding land in the village of Wielka Wieś.

In the 16th century, the name Powalski appears in the records of the city of Kraków, where a Marcin Powalski is mentioned as a member of the local guild of carpenters and woodworkers. This suggests that the name was still closely associated with professions involving woodworking and construction.

During the 17th century, the Powalski family gained prominence in the Polish nobility, with several members holding positions of power and influence. One notable figure from this period is Jan Powalski (1620-1688), who served as a military commander and fought in the Polish-Swedish wars.

In the 19th century, the Powalski name spread beyond Poland as many Polish families immigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. A famous bearer of the name during this time was Józef Powalski (1871-1942), a Polish painter and art teacher who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Other notable individuals with the surname Powalski include Władysław Powalski (1885-1954), a Polish military officer and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 1920s, and Andrzej Powalski (1935-2022), a Polish writer and journalist who was known for his works on history and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Powalski

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Powalski.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Powalski was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Powalski was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Powalski, please contact us.

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