2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Rakowicz
A surname likely of Polish origin and possibly topographic, derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Rakowicz. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rakowicz 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Rakowicz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rakowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rakowicz
The surname Rakowicz has its origins in Poland, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the Polish word "rak," meaning "crab," and the suffix "-owicz," which indicates patronymic descent or belonging to a place. This suggests that the name may have originated as a nickname for someone who had a crab-like appearance or mannerisms, or perhaps lived in an area known for its crabs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rakowicz surname can be found in the Polish tax records of the 16th century, where several individuals bearing this name were listed as residents of the town of Raków, located in the Masovian Voivodeship. This suggests a potential connection between the surname and this particular place name.
In the 17th century, the Rakowicz name appeared in various historical documents, such as parish records and land deeds, throughout various regions of Poland. Notable individuals from this time period include Jan Rakowicz (1580-1647), a Polish Catholic priest and theologian, and Andrzej Rakowicz (1612-1678), a Polish military officer who fought in the Swedish-Polish War.
As the centuries progressed, the Rakowicz surname spread beyond Poland's borders, with bearers of the name settling in neighboring countries like Ukraine and Belarus. One notable figure from this era was Wladyslaw Rakowicz (1863-1920), a Polish-Ukrainian painter and art teacher who played a significant role in the development of the Ukrainian avant-garde movement.
In the 20th century, the Rakowicz surname continued to be found throughout Eastern Europe. One notable individual was Mieczyslaw Rakowicz (1908-1987), a Polish film director and screenwriter who made several acclaimed films during the post-World War II period.
While the Rakowicz name may have originated as a nickname or place name reference, it has since become a well-established surname with a rich history spanning centuries and crossing national borders. From scholars and artists to military figures, individuals bearing this surname have left their mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of Eastern Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rakowicz
Among Census respondents with the surname Rakowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Rakowicz 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 Rakowicz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 107
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rakowicz
Rakowicz 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-10 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,524 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-14 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,335 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 16,524 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 13,335 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 Rakowicz 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 | #138,304 | #151,639 | -9.6% |
| Count | 121 | 107 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rakowicz bearers went from 121 to 107 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 13,335 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #151,639.
FAQ
Rakowicz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rakowicz?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Rakowicz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Rakowicz?
Rakowicz ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Rakowicz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Rakowicz.
Has Rakowicz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rakowicz went from 121 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Rakowicz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rakowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Rakowicz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rakowicz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Rakowicz (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 Rakowicz mean?
A surname likely of Polish origin and possibly topographic, derived from a place name. 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 Rakowicz (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 share the surname Rakowicz?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.