2000
#66,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 278
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Swierczynski
A Polish surname likely derived from a village name or a nickname related to beech trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 355 Americans carry the last name Swierczynski. That puts it at #68,391 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 965,505 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swierczynski 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
355
1 in 965,505
Census rank
#68,391
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
310
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 310 bearers of the surname Swierczynski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 68391st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swierczynski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swierczynski
The surname SWIERCZYNSKI originated in Poland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "świerczyna," which translates to "birch grove" or "birch forest." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived near or were associated with a notable birch grove or woodland area.
In its earliest forms, the surname was often spelled variations such as Świerczyński, Świerczewski, or Świerczowski, reflecting regional dialects and orthographic conventions of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Masovia and Greater Poland, where many Polish surnames emerged during the medieval and early modern periods.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SWIERCZYNSKI surname can be found in the 1564 Polish census records from the town of Płock, where a certain Jan Świerczyński is listed as a landowner. Additionally, the 1621 court records from the town of Kalisz mention a Bartłomiej Świerczewski, who was involved in a legal dispute over property boundaries.
In the 18th century, the SWIERCZYNSKI surname gained prominence with the birth of Józef Swierczynski (1743-1818), a Polish nobleman and military officer who served in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's army. He fought in several campaigns against foreign invaders and was awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus for his bravery.
Another notable bearer of the SWIERCZYNSKI name was Franciszek Swierczynski (1789-1858), a Polish botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of the flora and fauna of the Carpathian Mountains. His extensive research and publications on the region's plant life earned him recognition among the scientific community of his time.
In the 19th century, Kazimierz Swierczynski (1821-1897) was a prominent Polish educator and author. He wrote several influential textbooks on language and literature, which were widely used in schools across the Polish territories. His efforts in promoting education and literacy played a crucial role in the cultural and intellectual development of the region.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Maria Swierczynska (1854-1932) gained recognition as one of the first female Polish composers. Her compositions, which included orchestral works, chamber music, and vocal pieces, were widely performed and acclaimed for their technical mastery and emotional depth.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who carried the SWIERCZYNSKI surname throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence and significance in Polish culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swierczynski
Among Census respondents with the surname Swierczynski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Swierczynski 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 Swierczynski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 295
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 9
- Two or more races1.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swierczynski
Swierczynski 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
#60,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 333
+55 bearers (+19.8%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 5,971 places
2020
#68,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 310
-23 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 7,886 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #66,476 | 278 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #60,505 | 333 | 0.11 | +55 bearers (+19.8%) | Up 5,971 places |
| 2020 | #68,391 | 310 | 0.10 | -23 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 7,886 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 Swierczynski 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 | #60,505 | #68,391 | -13.0% |
| Count | 333 | 310 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.10 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swierczynski bearers went from 333 to 310 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 7,886 positions in the national ranking, going from #60,505 to #68,391.
FAQ
Swierczynski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swierczynski?
Name Census estimates that about 355 living Americans carry the surname Swierczynski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 965,505 residents.
How common is Swierczynski?
Swierczynski ranks #68,391 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 310 people with the surname Swierczynski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (355), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Swierczynski.
Has Swierczynski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swierczynski went from 333 recorded bearers to 310. That is a decrease of 23 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #60,505 to #68,391.
What does the Census say about the background of Swierczynski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swierczynski, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Swierczynski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (295 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swierczynski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Swierczynski (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 Swierczynski mean?
A Polish surname likely derived from a village name or a nickname related to beech trees. 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 Swierczynski (0.10 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 Swierczynski?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Swierczynski, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.