2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Skawski
A Polish surname derived from the word "skawa", meaning a type of small river or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Skawski. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skawski 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Skawski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skawski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skawski
The surname Skawski originated in Poland during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "skawa," which means "stream" or "brook." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked with a small body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Skawski surname can be found in the Polish town of Skawina, located in the Malopolska region. Historical records from the 14th century mention a family with the name Skawski residing in this area, indicating that the surname was already established by that time.
The Skawski name has also been linked to the Skawa River, which flows through southern Poland. It is possible that the name originated among individuals who lived along the banks of this river or worked as fishermen or boatmen on its waters.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Jan Skawski (1543-1607) rose to prominence as a Polish humanist and diplomat. He served as a secretary to King Stefan Batory and was instrumental in negotiating peace treaties between Poland and neighboring countries.
During the 17th century, the Skawski surname can be found in various historical documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One such record mentions a nobleman named Jakub Skawski (1620-1688), who held land holdings in the region of Lesser Poland.
In the 18th century, a prominent Polish military leader named Franciszek Skawski (1745-1810) played a significant role in the Kosciuszko Uprising against Russian and Prussian forces. He was recognized for his bravery and strategic leadership during this struggle for Polish independence.
Another notable individual with the Skawski surname was Wladyslaw Skawski (1859-1924), a Polish engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing one of the earliest designs for a successful helicopter prototype, which he tested in the early 20th century.
Throughout history, the Skawski name has been associated with various locations in Poland, particularly in the southern regions. While variations in spelling have occurred over time, the core elements of the surname have remained intact, reflecting its enduring connection to the Polish language and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skawski
Among Census respondents with the surname Skawski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Skawski 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 Skawski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Skawski
Skawski 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-12 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,925 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-11 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,980 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 16,925 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 11,980 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 Skawski 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 | #133,048 | #145,028 | -9.0% |
| Count | 127 | 116 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Skawski bearers went from 127 to 116 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 11,980 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #145,028.
FAQ
Skawski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Skawski?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Skawski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Skawski?
Skawski ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Skawski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Skawski.
Has Skawski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Skawski went from 127 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Skawski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skawski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Skawski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Skawski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Skawski (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 Skawski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "skawa", meaning a type of small river or stream. 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 Skawski (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 Skawski?
See how many Americans have the surname Skawski on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.