2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Saczawa
A surname of Polish origin potentially referring to a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Saczawa. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saczawa 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Saczawa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saczawa, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saczawa
The surname "SACZAWA" is of Polish origin, and it can be traced back to the 15th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "sacz," which means "pitcher" or "jug," and the suffix "-awa," which is often used to denote a place name. It is believed that the name originally referred to a location or a settlement where jugs or pitchers were produced or sold.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the archives of the city of Krakow, where a certain Jan Saczawa was listed as a merchant in the year 1492. This suggests that the name was already well-established in Poland by the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the tax registers of the town of Sandomierz, where a family by the name of Saczawa is listed as landowners. This indicates that the name had gained some prominence and was associated with a certain level of wealth and social status.
During the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Saczawa was Marcin Saczawa, a prominent scholar and philosopher who lived from 1628 to 1701. He was a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and wrote several influential works on logic and metaphysics.
Another individual of historical significance was Katarzyna Saczawa, a noblewoman who lived in the 18th century. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support of various charitable causes, particularly those aimed at helping the poor and educating children.
In the 19th century, the name Saczawa can be found in various records from the regions of Galicia and Lesser Poland. One notable figure from this period was Jan Saczawa, a prominent landowner and businessman who was active in the political and social life of his community.
Throughout its history, the surname Saczawa has been associated with various locations and place names in Poland, such as the town of Sączawa in the Lesser Poland region, which may have been the original source of the name. The name has also been spelled in various ways, including Saczewa, Saczewa, and Saczowa, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
While the surname Saczawa is not among the most common Polish surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, noblemen, and prominent citizens. The name continues to be a part of the Polish cultural heritage and serves as a reminder of the country's diverse linguistic and historical traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saczawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Saczawa, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Saczawa 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 Saczawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saczawa
Saczawa 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-14 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,785 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 774 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 23,785 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 774 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 Saczawa 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 | #156,044 | #155,270 | 0.5% |
| Count | 104 | 101 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saczawa bearers went from 104 to 101 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 774 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #155,270.
FAQ
Saczawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saczawa?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Saczawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Saczawa?
Saczawa ranks #155,270 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 101 people with the surname Saczawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), 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 Saczawa.
Has Saczawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saczawa went from 104 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Saczawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saczawa, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Saczawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saczawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Saczawa (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 Saczawa mean?
A surname of Polish origin potentially referring to 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 Saczawa (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 Americans have the surname Saczawa?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.