2000
#39,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 530
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Stankowski
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive or nickname variant of the name Stanisław.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 561 Americans carry the last name Stankowski. That puts it at #46,865 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 610,970 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stankowski 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
561
1 in 610,970
Census rank
#46,865
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
489
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 489 bearers of the surname Stankowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46865th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stankowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stankowski
The surname Stankowski is of Polish origin, derived from the occupational name "Stanko," meaning "one who keeps an inn or tavern." The name can be traced back to the 15th century in the region of Greater Poland, particularly in the towns of Poznan, Gniezno, and Kalisz.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Stankowski dates back to 1478, when a certain Jan Stankowski was mentioned in a legal document from the town of Gniezno. In the 16th century, the name appeared in various records from the city of Poznan, such as the 1526 register of townsmen, which listed a Jakub Stankowski as a merchant.
Interestingly, the name Stankowski is similar to the German surname "Stanke," which also has its roots in the same occupational term. This similarity suggests a possible connection between the Polish and German variants, perhaps due to the migration of people between the two regions in the past.
One notable historical figure bearing the Stankowski surname was Walenty Stankowski (1741-1812), a Polish painter and engraver who was active in the late 18th century. His works can be found in various churches and museums across Poland, including the National Museum in Warsaw.
Another prominent individual was Tadeusz Stankowski (1835-1911), a Polish politician and lawyer who served as the mayor of Krakow from 1882 to 1886. He played a significant role in the city's development and modernization during his tenure.
In the literary world, Michał Stankowski (1892-1964) was a renowned Polish writer and poet, known for his contributions to the Expressionist movement in Polish literature. His works explored themes of modern urban life and the human condition.
Moving to the 20th century, Stanisław Stankowski (1920-1998) was a Polish-born graphic designer and artist who gained recognition for his innovative and minimalist approach to design. He worked extensively in Switzerland and is considered a pioneer of the Swiss Style of graphic design.
Finally, Jerzy Stankowski (1931-2022) was a Polish-American mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the field of computational geometry. He held academic positions at various universities in the United States and published numerous papers and books on his research.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stankowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Stankowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Stankowski 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 Stankowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.1% · 465
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 11
- Two or more races2.2% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stankowski
Stankowski 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
#40,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 545
+15 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 1,093 places
2020
#46,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 489
-56 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 6,661 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,111 | 530 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,204 | 545 | 0.18 | +15 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 1,093 places |
| 2020 | #46,865 | 489 | 0.16 | -56 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 6,661 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 Stankowski 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 | #40,204 | #46,865 | -16.6% |
| Count | 545 | 489 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.16 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stankowski bearers went from 545 to 489 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 6,661 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,204 to #46,865.
FAQ
Stankowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stankowski?
Name Census estimates that about 561 living Americans carry the surname Stankowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 610,970 residents.
How common is Stankowski?
Stankowski ranks #46,865 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 489 people with the surname Stankowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (561), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Stankowski.
Has Stankowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stankowski went from 545 recorded bearers to 489. That is a decrease of 56 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #40,204 to #46,865.
What does the Census say about the background of Stankowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stankowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Stankowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (465 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stankowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.1%), Hispanic (2.2%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Stankowski (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 Stankowski mean?
A Polish surname derived from a diminutive or nickname variant of the name Stanisław. 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 Stankowski (0.16 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 Stankowski?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.