2000
#107,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Stempkowski
A Polish surname derived from the word "stempel" meaning a stamp or seal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Stempkowski. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stempkowski 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Stempkowski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stempkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stempkowski
The surname Stempkowski is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the Wielkopolska region of west-central Poland, particularly around the town of Stempeń (also spelled as Stempień or Stempno). The name is derived from the Polish word "stępa," which means "to tread" or "to stamp," suggesting a possible connection to an occupation or activity involving treading or stamping.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stempkowski can be found in the Tarnów Land Records, which date back to the mid-16th century. These records mention a certain Jan Stempkowski, who was a landowner in the vicinity of Tarnów, a city in southern Poland.
In the 17th century, the Stempkowski name appeared in various Polish manuscripts and documents, including the Metryka Koronna (Crown Metrica), which was a collection of records related to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One notable figure from this period was Andrzej Stempkowski (1638-1715), a Polish nobleman and military commander who participated in several battles against the Swedes and the Ottoman Empire.
During the 18th century, the Stempkowski family had a presence in the Masovian Voivodeship, a historical region in east-central Poland. One of the most prominent members of the family was Franciszek Stempkowski (1745-1825), a Polish politician and landowner who served as a deputy to the Sejm (Polish parliament) and was actively involved in the Polish Enlightenment movement.
In the 19th century, the Stempkowski name could be found in various regions of the partitioned Polish territories, including the Russian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Notable individuals from this period include Paweł Stempkowski (1818-1897), a Polish poet and translator who was part of the Polish Romantic movement, and Józef Stempkowski (1860-1926), a Polish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of aviation.
Another prominent figure with the Stempkowski surname was Kazimierz Stempkowski (1878-1960), a Polish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Second Polish Republic in the interwar period.
Throughout its history, the Stempkowski name has been associated with various occupations, including landowners, military personnel, politicians, writers, engineers, and diplomats. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Wielkopolska region of Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, reflecting the migration patterns of the Polish people over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stempkowski
Among Census respondents with the surname Stempkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Stempkowski 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 Stempkowski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stempkowski
Stempkowski 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-33 bearers (-21.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 31,663 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-7 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,993 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #107,565 | 153 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -33 bearers (-21.6%) | Down 31,663 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 7,993 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 Stempkowski 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 | #139,228 | #147,221 | -5.7% |
| Count | 120 | 113 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stempkowski bearers went from 120 to 113 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 7,993 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #147,221.
FAQ
Stempkowski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stempkowski?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Stempkowski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Stempkowski?
Stempkowski ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Stempkowski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Stempkowski.
Has Stempkowski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stempkowski went from 120 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Stempkowski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stempkowski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Stempkowski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stempkowski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%), Black (0.9%). 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 Stempkowski (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 Stempkowski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "stempel" meaning a stamp or seal. 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 Stempkowski (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 last name Stempkowski?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Stempkowski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.