2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Slosky
From a place name referring to an area of forest clearings.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Slosky. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slosky 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Slosky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slosky, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slosky
The surname Slosky originates from the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in modern-day Poland and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged in the 14th or 15th century, derived from the Slavic word "slovo," meaning "word" or "speech." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who were skilled orators, writers, or scholars.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Slosky can be found in a Polish census record from the late 16th century, where it is spelled "Słoski." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet widely adopted.
In the 17th century, the name Slosky appeared in several historical documents from the region, including land ownership records and church registries. It is noteworthy that during this period, the name was often associated with prominent families and members of the nobility, indicating a certain level of social standing.
One notable figure bearing the name Slosky was Jan Slosky (1620-1687), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish War. His exploits were documented in several contemporary chronicles, cementing his place in the annals of Polish history.
Another individual of note was Andrzej Slosky (1755-1823), a renowned scholar and linguist from Ukraine. Andrzej's contributions to the study of Slavic languages and their origins were widely recognized during his lifetime, and his work continues to be referenced by modern linguists.
In the 19th century, the name Slosky appeared in several literary works, including the novels of the Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916), who featured minor characters with this surname in his historical fiction.
As the Slavic populations migrated and dispersed throughout Europe and beyond, the name Slosky also spread to other regions. For instance, Mikhail Slosky (1890-1967), a Russian-born artist and sculptor, gained recognition for his avant-garde works in France and the United States during the early 20th century.
While the Slosky surname may not be among the most common today, its rich history and linguistic roots continue to reflect the cultural diversity and heritage of the Slavic peoples.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slosky
Among Census respondents with the surname Slosky, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Slosky 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 Slosky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slosky
Slosky 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,791 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-7 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,738 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 12,791 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 3,738 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 Slosky 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 | #151,532 | #155,270 | -2.5% |
| Count | 108 | 101 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slosky bearers went from 108 to 101 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 3,738 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #155,270.
FAQ
Slosky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slosky?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Slosky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Slosky?
Slosky ranks #155,270 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 101 people with the surname Slosky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), 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 Slosky.
Has Slosky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slosky went from 108 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Slosky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slosky, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Slosky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slosky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Slosky (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 Slosky mean?
From a place name referring to an area of forest clearings. 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 Slosky (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 common is the surname Slosky?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Slosky at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.