2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Starowicz
A Polish surname likely derived from a variation of the word "starosta," meaning "elder" or "head man."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Starowicz. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Starowicz 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Starowicz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Starowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Starowicz
The surname Starowicz originated in Poland. It is derived from the Polish word "stary," meaning "old," and the suffix "-owicz," which indicates patronymic origin. The name likely originated in the Middle Ages, referring to someone who was the son or descendant of a person known as "the old one."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Starowicz can be traced back to the 16th century in various Polish historical records and manuscripts. It was particularly prevalent in the regions of Galicia and Masovia. Some variations of the spelling include Starowycz, Starovich, and Starovits.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Starowicz was Jan Starowicz, a Polish nobleman who lived in the late 16th century. He was a prominent landowner in the region of Masovia and played a role in local politics during that time.
Another notable figure was Michał Starowicz, a Polish military officer who fought in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 17th century. He participated in several military campaigns against the Ottoman Empire and was recognized for his bravery on the battlefield.
In the 18th century, Stanisław Starowicz was a renowned Polish scholar and theologian. He authored several influential works on religion and philosophy and served as a professor at the University of Krakow.
During the 19th century, Andrzej Starowicz was a prominent Polish artist known for his landscape paintings. He was born in 1814 and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. His works were widely exhibited and appreciated during his lifetime.
In more recent history, Zbigniew Starowicz, born in 1939, is a well-known Polish sexologist and author. He has written numerous books on human sexuality and has been a vocal advocate for sexual education and awareness.
While the surname Starowicz has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, it remains most prevalent in Poland and among people of Polish descent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Starowicz
Among Census respondents with the surname Starowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Starowicz 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 Starowicz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Starowicz
Starowicz 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+12 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,303 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-13 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,815 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +12 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 1,303 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 13,815 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 Starowicz 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 | #127,494 | #141,309 | -10.8% |
| Count | 134 | 121 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Starowicz bearers went from 134 to 121 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 13,815 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #141,309.
FAQ
Starowicz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Starowicz?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Starowicz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Starowicz?
Starowicz ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Starowicz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Starowicz.
Has Starowicz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Starowicz went from 134 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 13 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Starowicz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Starowicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Starowicz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Starowicz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Hispanic (1.7%), Black (0.8%). 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 Starowicz (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 Starowicz mean?
A Polish surname likely derived from a variation of the word "starosta," meaning "elder" or "head man." 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 Starowicz (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 Starowicz?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.