2000
#10,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,676
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Sobczak
A Polish occupational surname derived from the word "sobek," referring to a person who distills or sells salt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,056 Americans carry the last name Sobczak. That puts it at #11,321 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,158 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sobczak 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 Sobczak with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 112,158
Census rank
#11,321
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,665 bearers of the surname Sobczak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11321st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sobczak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sobczak
The surname SOBCZAK originated in Poland, deriving from the Polish word "sobka," which means "woodpecker." The name likely emerged in the Middle Ages, referring to someone with a physical characteristic or occupation associated with woodpeckers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SOBCZAK surname dates back to the 15th century in the town of Bydgoszcz, located in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region of Poland. The name appeared in historical records, such as parish registers and municipal documents, reflecting its presence among the local population.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the SOBCZAK surname was found in various regions of Poland, including Wielkopolska, Silesia, and Masovia. It was particularly prevalent in rural areas, where people often took surnames derived from nature or occupations related to the land.
In the 18th century, notable figures bearing the SOBCZAK surname included Jan Sobczak (1720-1789), a Polish landowner and nobleman from the Kraków region, and Michał Sobczak (1745-1810), a renowned woodcarver from the town of Przemyśl, renowned for his intricate religious sculptures adorning local churches.
The 19th century saw the SOBCZAK surname spread throughout the Polish territories, with several individuals leaving their mark in various fields. Józef Sobczak (1832-1901) was a prominent painter from Warsaw, known for his landscapes and portraits of the Polish gentry. Stanisław Sobczak (1854-1928) was a respected linguist and professor at the University of Kraków, contributing to the study of Slavic languages.
In the early 20th century, Wacław Sobczak (1901-1978) was a celebrated Polish poet and translator, renowned for his translations of works by William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. His contemporaries included Franciszek Sobczak (1905-1982), a World War II resistance fighter and recipient of the Virtuti Militari, Poland's highest military decoration.
These examples highlight the long-standing presence of the SOBCZAK surname in Poland, reflecting its journey through various regions, professions, and historical periods. While the name's origins may be humble, it has been carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, contributing to the rich tapestry of Polish culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sobczak
Among Census respondents with the surname Sobczak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sobczak 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 Sobczak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 2,509
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 92
- Two or more races1.7% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sobczak
Sobczak 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
#11,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,740
+64 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 572 places
2020
#11,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,665
-75 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,912 | 2,676 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,484 | 2,740 | 0.93 | +64 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 572 places |
| 2020 | #11,321 | 2,665 | 0.89 | -75 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 163 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 Sobczak 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 | #11,484 | #11,321 | 1.4% |
| Count | 2,740 | 2,665 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.89 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sobczak bearers went from 2,740 to 2,665 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 163 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,484 to #11,321.
FAQ
Sobczak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sobczak?
Name Census estimates that about 3,056 living Americans carry the surname Sobczak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,158 residents.
How common is Sobczak?
Sobczak ranks #11,321 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,665 people with the surname Sobczak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,056), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Sobczak.
Has Sobczak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sobczak went from 2,740 recorded bearers to 2,665. That is a decrease of 75 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,484 to #11,321.
What does the Census say about the background of Sobczak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sobczak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) 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 Sobczak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (2,509 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sobczak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), 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 Sobczak (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 Sobczak mean?
A Polish occupational surname derived from the word "sobek," referring to a person who distills or sells salt. 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 Sobczak (0.89 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 are called Sobczak?
See how many people have the surname Sobczak on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.