2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sobieszczyk
A Polish surname derived from the personal name Sobieslav or Sobieslaw.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Sobieszczyk. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sobieszczyk 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Sobieszczyk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sobieszczyk, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sobieszczyk
The surname Sobieszczyk originated in Poland in the late 15th century. It is derived from the Polish word "sobieski," which translates to "self-made" or "self-sufficient." This name likely referred to individuals who were self-reliant or independent during a time when the nobility and landed gentry held significant power.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sobieszczyk can be found in a 16th-century manuscript from the town of Sandomierz, where a local landowner named Jan Sobieszczyk is mentioned. This region, located in southeastern Poland, was known for its agricultural prosperity and may have been an area where the name first emerged.
During the 17th century, the name Sobieszczyk gained prominence with the rise of Jan III Sobieski, a Polish noble and military commander who became King of Poland in 1674. Born in 1629, Jan III Sobieski led Polish forces to a decisive victory against the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vienna in 1683, earning him the title of "the Lion of Lehistan" (an old name for Poland).
Another notable figure with the surname Sobieszczyk was Katarzyna Sobieszczyk, a 16th-century noblewoman from the Małopolska region of southern Poland. Historical records indicate that she played a significant role in the local administration and management of her family's estates.
In the 18th century, the name Sobieszczyk appeared in records from the town of Kazimierz Dolny, a picturesque settlement along the Vistula River. A merchant named Michał Sobieszczyk, born in 1712, was known for his successful trade ventures and contributions to the local economy.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Wacław Sobieszczyk, a prominent Polish artist and painter born in 1842. His works, which often depicted scenes from rural life and the Polish countryside, are celebrated for their vibrant colors and attention to detail.
It is important to note that while the surname Sobieszczyk has its roots in Poland, it has likely spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, detailed historical records outside of Poland may be limited due to the name's specific geographic origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sobieszczyk
Among Census respondents with the surname Sobieszczyk, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sobieszczyk 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 Sobieszczyk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 96
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sobieszczyk
Sobieszczyk appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 807 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 Sobieszczyk 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 | #152,339 | -0.5% |
| Count | 108 | 106 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sobieszczyk bearers went from 108 to 106 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 807 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,339.
FAQ
Sobieszczyk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sobieszczyk?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Sobieszczyk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Sobieszczyk?
Sobieszczyk ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 106 people with the surname Sobieszczyk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sobieszczyk.
Has Sobieszczyk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sobieszczyk went from 108 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Sobieszczyk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sobieszczyk, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Sobieszczyk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sobieszczyk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Sobieszczyk (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 Sobieszczyk mean?
A Polish surname derived from the personal name Sobieslav or Sobieslaw. 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 Sobieszczyk (0.04 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 Sobieszczyk?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.