2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sandecki
Of Slavic origin, referring to someone from the Sanok region of Poland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Sandecki. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sandecki 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Sandecki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sandecki
The surname Sandecki is of Polish origin, emerging in the late 15th century from the region of Sandec (now Nowy Sącz) in southern Poland. It is derived from the Polish word "sąd," meaning "court" or "judgment," suggesting an ancestral connection to the legal or administrative systems of the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Metryka Koronna, a collection of historical records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, dating back to 1506. Here, a certain Jan Sandecki is mentioned as a scribe in the court of King Sigismund I the Old.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sandecki name appeared frequently in the Sądecczyzna region, which encompassed the towns of Nowy Sącz, Stary Sącz, and Grybów. During this period, the name was often spelled as "Sądecki" or "Sądetzki," reflecting the local pronunciation and orthography.
A notable bearer of the name was Stanisław Sądecki (1532-1592), a Polish Catholic priest and rector of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. He was a respected scholar and author of several theological works, including "De Purgatorio" (On Purgatory).
Another prominent figure was Mikołaj Sandecki (1550-1605), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Muscovite War of 1577-1582. He was praised for his bravery and tactical skills, and his exploits were documented in contemporary chronicles.
In the 18th century, the Sandecki name spread beyond the Sądecczyzna region, with some members of the family migrating to other parts of Poland and neighboring countries. One such individual was Jan Sandecki (1720-1789), a merchant and landowner from Lviv (now in Ukraine), who amassed considerable wealth through his trade ventures.
The 19th century saw the rise of several notable figures bearing the Sandecki surname, including Józef Sandecki (1810-1876), a Polish painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and historical scenes. His works can be found in various museums and galleries across Poland.
Another significant figure from this period was Tomasz Sandecki (1835-1901), a Polish politician and activist who played a prominent role in the struggle for Polish independence from the partitioning powers of Russia, Prussia, and Austria. He was a member of the Polish National Government during the January Uprising of 1863-1864.
While the Sandecki surname has its roots in the Sądecczyzna region of southern Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the legal and administrative traditions of its place of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sandecki
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sandecki 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 Sandecki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 97
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sandecki
Sandecki 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+15 bearers (+14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,854 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-12 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,482 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 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.4%) | Up 5,854 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 11,482 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 Sandecki 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 | #140,157 | #151,639 | -8.2% |
| Count | 119 | 107 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sandecki bearers went from 119 to 107 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 11,482 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #151,639.
FAQ
Sandecki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sandecki?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Sandecki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Sandecki?
Sandecki ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Sandecki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Sandecki.
Has Sandecki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sandecki went from 119 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Sandecki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandecki, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Two or More Races (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 Sandecki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sandecki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Black (2.8%), Two or More Races (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 Sandecki (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 Sandecki mean?
Of Slavic origin, referring to someone from the Sanok region of Poland. 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 Sandecki (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 share the surname Sandecki?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.