2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Rolinski
A Polish surname derived from the Polish word "rol" meaning farmer or peasant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Rolinski. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rolinski 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Rolinski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rolinski
The surname Rolinski is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the Polish word "rol," which means "field" or "farmland," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked on or owned a farm or agricultural land.
The earliest recorded instances of the Rolinski surname can be found in various historical documents and records from the 16th and 17th centuries in Poland. One notable example is the mention of a Marcin Rolinski in the records of the town of Krakow in 1582.
In the 18th century, the Rolinski name appeared in several Polish noble families, indicating that some members of the family had achieved a certain level of status and wealth. One such example is Józef Rolinski (1728-1801), a Polish nobleman and military officer who served in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army.
As the Rolinski family spread across Poland and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Rolinsky, Rollinski, and Rollinsky. These variations can be found in historical records from different regions of Poland, as well as in other parts of Europe where Polish immigrants settled.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Rolinski surname was Jan Rolinski (1540-1610), a Polish writer and historian who authored several works on Polish history and culture. Another notable figure was Mikołaj Rolinski (1655-1725), a Polish Jesuit priest and educator who served as the rector of the Jesuit College in Kalisz.
In the 19th century, the Rolinski name gained prominence with several individuals making significant contributions in various fields. For instance, Wincenty Rolinski (1806-1888) was a Polish painter and art educator who taught at the School of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Additionally, Stanisław Rolinski (1830-1900) was a Polish engineer and inventor, best known for his contributions to the development of the early internal combustion engine.
As the Rolinski family continued to spread across different parts of the world, the name became associated with various professions and accomplishments. However, the name's roots remain firmly grounded in its Polish agricultural origins, serving as a reminder of the family's connection to the land and farming heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rolinski
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rolinski 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 Rolinski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 94
- Two or more races9.3% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rolinski
Rolinski 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-14 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,111 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 21,111 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,715 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 Rolinski 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 | #145,220 | #150,935 | -3.9% |
| Count | 114 | 108 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rolinski bearers went from 114 to 108 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,715 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #150,935.
FAQ
Rolinski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rolinski?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Rolinski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Rolinski?
Rolinski ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Rolinski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Rolinski.
Has Rolinski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rolinski went from 114 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Rolinski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rolinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Rolinski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rolinski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Two or More Races (9.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Rolinski (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 Rolinski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the Polish word "rol" meaning farmer or peasant. 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 Rolinski (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 Rolinski?
Find out how many people are called Rolinski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.