2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sobierajski
A Polish surname referring to a person who gathered or collected something.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 109 Americans carry the last name Sobierajski. That puts it at #156,592 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,144,535 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sobierajski 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
109
1 in 3,144,535
Census rank
#156,592
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
95
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 95 bearers of the surname Sobierajski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156592nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sobierajski, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sobierajski
The surname Sobierajski is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Greater Poland, specifically the areas around the cities of Poznań and Kalisz.
Sobierajski is a derivative of the Polish word "sobieraj," which means "self-sufficient" or "self-reliant." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was known for their independence or ability to provide for themselves.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sobierajski name can be found in a manuscript from the 15th century, which mentions a landowner named Jan Sobierajski in the village of Gołuchów. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
In the 16th century, there are records of a Jakub Sobierajski, who was a prominent merchant and trader in the city of Poznań. He is believed to have been involved in the international trade of goods between Poland and other European countries.
During the 17th century, a notable figure with the Sobierajski name was Michał Sobierajski, a Polish nobleman and military commander. He played a significant role in the Polish-Ottoman Wars and was renowned for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 18th century, the Sobierajski name gained further prominence with the birth of Tomasz Sobierajski (1712-1789), a renowned Polish poet and writer. His works were widely celebrated during his lifetime and are still studied by scholars today.
Another notable figure was Józef Sobierajski (1786-1852), a Polish engineer and architect who was responsible for designing several important buildings and structures in the city of Warsaw.
Throughout the 19th century, the Sobierajski name continued to be associated with various notable figures, including Władysław Sobierajski (1822-1897), a Polish politician and activist who played a significant role in the fight for Polish independence.
While the Sobierajski surname may not be as widely recognized as some other Polish surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by many accomplished individuals over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sobierajski
Among Census respondents with the surname Sobierajski, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Sobierajski 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 Sobierajski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 95
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sobierajski
Sobierajski 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-11 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,305 places
2020
#156,592
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 95
-17 bearers (-15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,339 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 19,305 places |
| 2020 | #156,592 | 95 | 0.03 | -17 bearers (-15.2%) | Down 9,339 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 Sobierajski 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 | #147,253 | #156,592 | -6.3% |
| Count | 112 | 95 | -15.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -20.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sobierajski bearers went from 112 to 95 (-15.2% change). The surname moved down 9,339 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #156,592.
FAQ
Sobierajski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sobierajski?
Name Census estimates that about 109 living Americans carry the surname Sobierajski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,144,535 residents.
How common is Sobierajski?
Sobierajski ranks #156,592 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 95 people with the surname Sobierajski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (109), 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 Sobierajski.
Has Sobierajski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sobierajski went from 112 recorded bearers to 95. That is a decrease of 17 (-15.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #156,592.
What does the Census say about the background of Sobierajski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sobierajski, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Sobierajski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sobierajski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Sobierajski (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 Sobierajski mean?
A Polish surname referring to a person who gathered or collected something. 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 Sobierajski (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 many people share the surname Sobierajski?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.