2000
#13,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,036
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Skowronski
Derived from the Polish word "skowronek," meaning "lark," likely referring to someone who lived near a lark's habitat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,219 Americans carry the last name Skowronski. That puts it at #14,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,463 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Skowronski 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Skowronski with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 154,463
Census rank
#14,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,935 bearers of the surname Skowronski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Skowronski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Skowronski
The surname Skowronski originated in Poland, likely emerging during the Middle Ages or Renaissance period between the 10th and 16th centuries. It is derived from the Polish word "skowronek," meaning "lark," which is a type of small songbird. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a location frequented by larks or someone who exhibited characteristics associated with these birds, such as being an early riser or having a melodious voice.
In Poland, surnames were adopted relatively late compared to other European countries, with the practice becoming widespread among the nobility and gentry in the 15th and 16th centuries and gradually spreading to the lower classes over the following centuries. The earliest recorded instances of the Skowronski surname can be found in historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, although it is possible that variations of the name existed earlier.
One notable early bearer of the Skowronski name was Jan Skowronski, a Polish composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is known for his compositions for the organ and his contributions to the development of Polish Renaissance music.
In the 19th century, Józef Skowronski (1805-1865) was a Polish writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Polish national revival movement. He founded several literary magazines and wrote extensively on Polish history and culture.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Władysław Skowronski (1865-1936), a Polish engineer and inventor who made important contributions to the development of the radio and wireless communication technologies. He patented several inventions related to radio transmitters and receivers.
In the 20th century, Kazimierz Skowronski (1910-1982) was a Polish-American artist known for his abstract expressionist paintings. He immigrated to the United States after World War II and became part of the vibrant art scene in New York City.
Stanisław Skowronski (1922-2012) was a Polish mathematician and logician who made significant contributions to the field of mathematical logic and set theory. He was a professor at the University of Warsaw and a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
While the Skowronski surname is most prevalent in Poland, it has also spread to other countries through immigration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the Polish language and the historical regions of Poland, where it has been present for several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Skowronski
Among Census respondents with the surname Skowronski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Skowronski 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 Skowronski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 1,814
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 49
- Two or more races2.5% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Skowronski
Skowronski 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
#14,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,002
-34 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 1,149 places
2020
#14,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,935
-67 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 82 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,665 | 2,036 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,814 | 2,002 | 0.68 | -34 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 1,149 places |
| 2020 | #14,732 | 1,935 | 0.65 | -67 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 82 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 Skowronski 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 | #14,814 | #14,732 | 0.6% |
| Count | 2,002 | 1,935 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.65 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Skowronski bearers went from 2,002 to 1,935 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 82 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,814 to #14,732.
FAQ
Skowronski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Skowronski?
Name Census estimates that about 2,219 living Americans carry the surname Skowronski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,463 residents.
How common is Skowronski?
Skowronski ranks #14,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,935 people with the surname Skowronski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,219), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Skowronski.
Has Skowronski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Skowronski went from 2,002 recorded bearers to 1,935. That is a decrease of 67 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,814 to #14,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Skowronski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Skowronski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Skowronski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (1,814 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Skowronski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Skowronski (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 Skowronski mean?
Derived from the Polish word "skowronek," meaning "lark," likely referring to someone who lived near a lark's habitat. 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 Skowronski (0.65 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 have the surname Skowronski?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.