Skolnick
A surname with Slavic origins meaning someone from a particular town or village.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,405 Americans carry the last name Skolnick. That puts it at #21,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 243,953 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skolnick surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
1.4K
1 in 243,953
Census rank
#21,686
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,201 bearers of the surname Skolnick in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skolnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skolnick
The surname SKOLNICK is of Polish origin, derived from the Polish word "skolnik" which means "judge" or "arbiter". The name can be traced back to the 16th century in the region of modern-day Poland.
The earliest recorded instance of the SKOLNICK surname appears in the parish records of the town of Krakow in 1572, where a certain Jan Skolnick was listed as a local magistrate. This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who held judicial or legal positions in their communities.
In the 17th century, variations of the spelling such as "Skolnicki" and "Skolniczek" can be found in historical documents from the regions of Silesia and Galicia, which were then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
One notable figure bearing the SKOLNICK name was Jakub Skolnicki (1630-1695), a renowned Polish lawyer and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Crown Tribunal of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
As the Polish diaspora spread across Europe and later to the Americas, the SKOLNICK surname traveled with them. In the late 19th century, records show SKOLNICK families settling in cities like New York and Chicago, where they often Anglicized the spelling to "SKOLNICK".
Another prominent individual with this surname was Joseph Skolnick (1892-1976), a Polish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the successful Skolnick Furniture Company in Chicago.
In the 20th century, the SKOLNICK name gained further recognition with figures like Arnold Skolnick (1923-1988), an American lawyer and civil rights activist who played a pivotal role in the desegregation of public schools in the United States.
Other notable individuals with the SKOLNICK surname include Sheldon Skolnick (1947-present), an American psychologist and author, and Rachel Skolnick (1975-present), an American actress and writer.
While the SKOLNICK name has its roots in Poland and was initially associated with the legal profession, it has since spread across the globe and encompassed individuals from various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skolnick
Among Census respondents with the surname Skolnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Skolnick bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Skolnick surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4%
- Hispanic or Latino3.0%
- Two or more races1.6%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7%
- Black or African American0.5%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Skolnick surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,578 | #21,686 | -5.4% |
| Count | 1,197 | 1,201 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 0.41 | -6.8% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Skolnick bearers went from 1,197 to 1,201 (+0.3% change). The surname moved down 1,108 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,578 to #21,686.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Skolnick
FAQ
Skolnick surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Skolnick?
The surname Skolnick holds position #21,686 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 1,405 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.41 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Skolnick surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skolnick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.