2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Swigonski
A Polish surname derived from a place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Swigonski. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swigonski 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Swigonski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swigonski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swigonski
The surname "SWIGONSKI" is of Polish origin, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Silesia, which was a historical province of Poland. The name may be derived from the Polish word "Świgon," which means "swift" or "nimble."
The name "SWIGONSKI" first appeared in historical records in the late 16th century, when it was documented in the parish registers of the town of Opole, located in the Silesian region. These early records often featured variations in spelling, such as "ŚWIGONSKI," "ŚWIGONSKI," or "ŚWIGAŃSKI."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Jan Swigonski, a prominent merchant who lived in the city of Krakow in the late 16th century. He is mentioned in the city's trade records from the years 1582 to 1596.
In the 17th century, the name "SWIGONSKI" appeared in the records of the Polish nobility, suggesting that some members of the family had achieved a higher social status. One notable figure was Andrzej Swigonski, a landowner and military officer who served in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Army during the early 1600s.
Another historical figure bearing this surname was Katarzyna Swigonska, a renowned herbalist and midwife who lived in the village of Bielsko in the late 17th century. She is mentioned in several historical documents and local chronicles for her expertise in traditional medicine and her assistance during childbirth.
In the 19th century, the name "SWIGONSKI" appeared in the records of Polish immigrants who settled in various parts of the United States, particularly in the Midwestern states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. One notable example is Antoni Swigonski, a Polish immigrant who arrived in Chicago in the 1870s and became a successful businessman and community leader.
Throughout history, the surname "SWIGONSKI" has been associated with various professions and social classes, from merchants and landowners to military officers and herbalists. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark in historical records, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Poland and the Silesian region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swigonski
Among Census respondents with the surname Swigonski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Swigonski 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 Swigonski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swigonski
Swigonski 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,352 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-18 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,897 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 1,352 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 13,897 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 Swigonski 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 | #142,108 | #156,005 | -9.8% |
| Count | 117 | 99 | -15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swigonski bearers went from 117 to 99 (-15.4% change). The surname moved down 13,897 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #156,005.
FAQ
Swigonski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swigonski?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Swigonski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Swigonski?
Swigonski ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Swigonski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Swigonski.
Has Swigonski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swigonski went from 117 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Swigonski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swigonski, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Swigonski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swigonski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (2.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Swigonski (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 Swigonski mean?
A Polish surname derived from a place name or occupation. 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 Swigonski (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Swigonski?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.