2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Samowitz
A surname derived from the Polish town of Samowice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Samowitz. 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 Samowitz 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 Samowitz 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 Samowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Samowitz
The surname Samowitz has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in the regions that are now part of Poland and Belarus. It is believed to have emerged in the late 16th or early 17th century, derived from the Slavic root word "sam," meaning "self" or "alone."
According to historical records, the earliest known reference to the Samowitz name can be found in a church registry from the town of Bialystok, located in what was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The entry, dated 1632, records the birth of a child named Jakub Samowitz.
Over the centuries, the Samowitz surname underwent various spelling variations, such as Samowicz, Samowitsch, and Samowitzki, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the regions where the name was prevalent.
One notable figure in the history of the Samowitz name was Szymon Samowitz (1720-1789), a respected rabbi and scholar who authored several works on Jewish law and philosophy. His writings were widely studied in the yeshivas (Jewish religious schools) of Eastern Europe during his lifetime.
Another individual of historical significance was Chana Samowitz (1865-1944), a respected activist and philanthropist who established several orphanages and schools for underprivileged children in Warsaw, Poland. Her efforts to provide education and support for marginalized communities were recognized by the local authorities.
In the late 19th century, the Samowitz surname began to spread more widely as families emigrated from Eastern Europe to other parts of the world, seeking economic opportunities and fleeing persecution. Aron Samowitz (1878-1942), a businessman from Minsk, was among the early emigrants to the United States, settling in New York City in the early 1900s.
Yitzchak Samowitz (1906-1987), a renowned writer and poet, was born in a small town near Grodno (now part of Belarus). His works, which explored themes of Jewish identity and the immigrant experience, gained widespread recognition and were translated into several languages.
Another notable figure was Leah Samowitz (1920-2005), a pioneering scientist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics. Born in Krakow, Poland, she emigrated to the United States after World War II and worked at several prestigious research institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Samowitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Samowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Samowitz 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 Samowitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Samowitz
Samowitz 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+12 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,560 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-16 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 2,560 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 14,362 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 Samowitz 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 | #139,228 | #153,590 | -10.3% |
| Count | 120 | 104 | -13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Samowitz bearers went from 120 to 104 (-13.3% change). The surname moved down 14,362 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #153,590.
FAQ
Samowitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Samowitz?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Samowitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Samowitz?
Samowitz 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 Samowitz. 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 Samowitz.
Has Samowitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Samowitz went from 120 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Samowitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Samowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Samowitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Samowitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (4.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Samowitz (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 Samowitz mean?
A surname derived from the Polish town of Samowice. 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 Samowitz (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 Samowitz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.