2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rydzak
A Polish surname derived from the word "rudy", meaning "red" or "reddish".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Rydzak. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rydzak 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Rydzak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rydzak, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rydzak
The surname "RYDZAK" is believed to have originated in Poland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "rydz," which means "ginger" or "redhead," likely referring to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.
The name is thought to have its roots in the region of Silesia, a historical province that spans parts of modern-day Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. In its earliest form, it was often spelled as "Rydzak" or "Rydczak," reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "RYDZAK" can be found in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of historical court records from the town of Kraków, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention a certain Jan Rydzak, a landowner and prominent figure in the local community.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname "RYDZAK" was Marcin Rydzak, a Polish military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish wars. He was born in 1620 and gained recognition for his bravery and strategic prowess on the battlefield.
During the 18th century, the name "RYDZAK" appears in various church records and land registries across Silesia and the surrounding regions. One notable bearer of the name was Stanisław Rydzak, a respected scholar and author who published several works on philosophy and theology in the late 1700s.
In the 19th century, the surname "RYDZAK" gained prominence with the birth of Michał Rydzak, a Polish writer and journalist who was actively involved in the Polish independence movement. He was born in 1832 and played a significant role in promoting Polish culture and national identity through his literary works.
Another notable figure with the surname "RYDZAK" was Józef Rydzak, a Polish artist and painter who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was renowned for his landscapes and depictions of rural life in Poland, and his works are still celebrated and exhibited in various art galleries across the country.
While the surname "RYDZAK" originated in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration. However, it remains closely tied to its Polish roots and the historical significance it holds in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rydzak
Among Census respondents with the surname Rydzak, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rydzak 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 Rydzak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 89
- Two or more races7.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rydzak
Rydzak 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+18 bearers (+17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,684 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-18 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.3%) | Up 8,684 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 16,263 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 Rydzak 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 | #137,327 | #153,590 | -11.8% |
| Count | 122 | 104 | -14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rydzak bearers went from 122 to 104 (-14.8% change). The surname moved down 16,263 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #153,590.
FAQ
Rydzak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rydzak?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Rydzak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Rydzak?
Rydzak ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Rydzak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Rydzak.
Has Rydzak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rydzak went from 122 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Rydzak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rydzak, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Rydzak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rydzak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Two or More Races (7.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Rydzak (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 Rydzak mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "rudy", meaning "red" or "reddish". 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 Rydzak (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 are called Rydzak?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Rydzak is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.