2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Radowski
A Polish surname derived from the word "rada" meaning "council" or "advice".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Radowski. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Radowski 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Radowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Radowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Radowski
The surname Radowski is of Polish origin, originating from the region of Radów, a village located in central Poland. The name is derived from the Slavic word "rad," meaning "counsel" or "advice," and the Polish suffix "-owski," indicating a place of origin or association.
The earliest recorded instances of the Radowski surname can be traced back to the 15th century, when it appeared in various historical records and documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One notable example is the mention of a nobleman named Jan Radowski in the 1456 court records of King Casimir IV Jagiellon.
During the 16th century, the Radowski family gained prominence in the region of Małopolska (Lesser Poland), where they held lands and estates. In 1578, a Radowski coat of arms was officially registered, featuring a red shield with three silver stars.
One of the most notable individuals bearing the Radowski surname was Jakub Radowski (1535-1612), a Polish nobleman and military commander who served under King Stefan Batory during the Livonian War against Sweden and Russia. He was awarded lands and titles for his bravery and loyalty.
Another prominent figure was Stanisław Radowski (1650-1715), a Polish Catholic priest and theologian who wrote several influential treatises on religious philosophy and ethics. His works were widely studied in seminaries across the Commonwealth.
In the 18th century, the Radowski family had branches in various parts of Poland, including the regions of Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) and Silesia. During this time, the spelling of the surname sometimes varied, with forms such as Radowsky or Radoffski appearing in historical records.
One notable bearer of the name during this period was Józef Radowski (1725-1789), a Polish landowner and member of the Sejm (parliament) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was a vocal advocate for political reforms and played a role in the drafting of the Constitution of May 3, 1791, one of the first modern constitutions in Europe.
In the 19th century, as Poland underwent periods of partition and occupation, the Radowski surname spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by Polish emigrants and their descendants. However, many of the family's historical records and documents from this period were lost or destroyed due to the turbulent political circumstances.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Radowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Radowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Radowski 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 Radowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Radowski
Radowski 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-18 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 28,346 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 28,346 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 4,442 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 Radowski 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 | #159,712 | #155,270 | 2.8% |
| Count | 101 | 101 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Radowski bearers went from 101 to 101 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 4,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #155,270.
FAQ
Radowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Radowski?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Radowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Radowski?
Radowski ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Radowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Radowski.
Has Radowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Radowski went from 101 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Radowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Radowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Radowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Radowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Radowski (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 Radowski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "rada" meaning "council" or "advice". 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 Radowski (0.03 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 Radowski?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.