2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rzepkowski
A Polish surname derived from the word "rzepka," meaning turnip.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Rzepkowski. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rzepkowski 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Rzepkowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rzepkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rzepkowski
The surname "RZEPKOWSKI" is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "rzepka," which means "turnip" or "small turnip." The name likely originated in the rural areas of Poland, where many surnames were derived from occupations, physical characteristics, or local geography.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the records of the Krakow region, where a certain Jan Rzepkowski was mentioned as a landowner in the late 16th century. The name also appears in various church records and local registries from the 17th and 18th centuries, primarily concentrated in the central and eastern regions of Poland.
During the 19th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Stanisław Rzepkowski (1837-1919), a renowned Polish writer and journalist. He was a vocal advocate for Polish independence and played a significant role in the country's cultural and political life during that turbulent period.
Another notable figure with the surname Rzepkowski was Franciszek Rzepkowski (1857-1934), a Polish engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing one of the earliest prototypes of the modern-day telephone, and his contributions to telecommunications technology were recognized both in Poland and internationally.
In the realm of art, the name Rzepkowski is associated with Kazimierz Rzepkowski (1865-1932), a celebrated Polish painter known for his vibrant landscapes and portraiture. His works are featured in many prominent museums and galleries across Poland.
Moving into the 20th century, we find Jadwiga Rzepkowska (1903-1988), a Polish actress and theater director. She was widely acclaimed for her performances in both classical and contemporary plays and was a prominent figure in the Polish theater scene for several decades.
While the surname Rzepkowski has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, the earliest recorded examples and the majority of historical references related to this surname can be traced back to its Polish origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rzepkowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Rzepkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Rzepkowski 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 Rzepkowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rzepkowski
Rzepkowski 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+24 bearers (+22.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 12,507 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-14 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,539 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +24 bearers (+22.0%) | Up 12,507 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 14,539 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 Rzepkowski 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 | #128,249 | #142,788 | -11.3% |
| Count | 133 | 119 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rzepkowski bearers went from 133 to 119 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 14,539 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #142,788.
FAQ
Rzepkowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rzepkowski?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Rzepkowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Rzepkowski?
Rzepkowski ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Rzepkowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Rzepkowski.
Has Rzepkowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rzepkowski went from 133 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Rzepkowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rzepkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Rzepkowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rzepkowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Rzepkowski (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 Rzepkowski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "rzepka," meaning turnip. 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 Rzepkowski (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 Rzepkowski?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Rzepkowski? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.