2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ratajski
A Polish surname derived from the word "rataj" meaning a plowman or farmer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Ratajski. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ratajski 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Ratajski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratajski, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ratajski
The surname Ratajski is of Polish origin, originating from the regions of Wielkopolska and Kujawy in the 15th century. It is derived from the Polish word "rataj," which means "plowman" or "farmer," indicating that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in agricultural pursuits.
The name Ratajski is a toponymic surname, meaning it is derived from a place name. In this case, it likely refers to the village of Rataje or a similar name, which was common in various regions of Poland during the medieval period. The suffix "-ski" is a typical Polish patronymic ending, indicating the name's origin from a particular location.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Ratajski surname can be found in the Metryka Koronna (Crown Metrica), a collection of historical records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth dating back to the 15th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Ratajski name was Jan Ratajski, a Polish nobleman and landowner from the Kuyavian region. He is mentioned in several historical documents from that time, including land records and legal proceedings.
During the 17th century, the Ratajski family had a presence in the town of Gniezno, which was an important religious and cultural center in Poland. Maciej Ratajski, born in 1612, was a prominent Catholic priest and scholar who served as the canon of the Gniezno Cathedral.
In the 18th century, Stanisław Ratajski (1721-1792) was a Polish military officer who fought in the Bar Confederation, a notable uprising against the growing influence of Russia in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Another notable figure with the Ratajski surname was Józef Ratajski (1810-1884), a Polish writer and poet who was active during the Romantic period. He is best known for his patriotic poems and works celebrating Polish culture and history.
In the 20th century, Wacław Ratajski (1892-1961) was a Polish engineer and architect who made significant contributions to the reconstruction efforts in Warsaw after World War II. He was involved in designing and rebuilding many iconic buildings and landmarks in the city.
Throughout its history, the Ratajski surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, from farmers and landowners to clergy, military personnel, writers, and architects. Its Polish origins and the meaning "plowman" or "farmer" reflect the agricultural roots of many early bearers of this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ratajski
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratajski, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ratajski 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 Ratajski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 8
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ratajski
Ratajski 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,364 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,364 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,464 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 Ratajski 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 | #146,201 | #148,665 | -1.7% |
| Count | 113 | 111 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ratajski bearers went from 113 to 111 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #148,665.
FAQ
Ratajski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ratajski?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Ratajski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Ratajski?
Ratajski ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Ratajski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Ratajski.
Has Ratajski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ratajski went from 113 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Ratajski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratajski, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Ratajski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ratajski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Hispanic (7.2%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Ratajski (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 Ratajski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "rataj" meaning a plowman or farmer. 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 Ratajski (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 Ratajski?
Find out how many people have the surname Ratajski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.