2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Szachta
An occupational surname derived from the Polish word for "mineshaft".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Szachta. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Szachta 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Szachta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Szachta, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Szachta
The surname SZACHTA originates from Poland, with its roots traced back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "szachta," which translates to "mine shaft" or "pit." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who worked in mining or related occupations during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SZACHTA surname can be found in the historical records of the town of Krakow, where a merchant named Jan SZACHTA is mentioned in documents from the year 1587. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during that time period.
In the 17th century, the SZACHTA surname appeared in various parish registers and census records throughout the Polish territories, particularly in the regions of Silesia and Lesser Poland. These records often provided variations in the spelling, such as "Szachta," "Szachda," or "Szachta-Lewandowski," reflecting the fluidity of naming conventions in those times.
Interestingly, the name SZACHTA also has some historical associations with the noble class in Poland. In the late 18th century, a nobleman named Andrzej SZACHTA was documented as owning land and properties in the vicinity of Krakow. His descendants continued to carry the SZACHTA name, contributing to its prevalence in the region.
Another notable figure bearing the SZACHTA surname was Józef SZACHTA, a celebrated Polish painter who lived from 1832 to 1903. He was known for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting rural life in Poland, and his works are still highly regarded in the country's art circles.
Furthermore, the SZACHTA name has been associated with several notable scholars and academics throughout history. One such individual was Maria SZACHTA (1889-1967), a renowned linguist and professor at the University of Warsaw, who made significant contributions to the field of Polish language and literature studies.
While the SZACHTA surname may not be among the most common in Poland today, its historical significance and connection to various professions and social strata have left an indelible mark on the country's cultural and linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Szachta
Among Census respondents with the surname Szachta, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Szachta 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 Szachta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 100
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Szachta
Szachta 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,639 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 51 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 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,639 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 51 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 Szachta 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 | #149,395 | #149,446 | -0.0% |
| Count | 110 | 110 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Szachta bearers went from 110 to 110 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #149,446.
FAQ
Szachta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Szachta?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Szachta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Szachta?
Szachta ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Szachta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Szachta.
Has Szachta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Szachta went from 110 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Szachta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Szachta, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Szachta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Szachta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Szachta (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 Szachta mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Polish word for "mineshaft". 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 Szachta (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 Americans have the surname Szachta?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.