2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Szarko
A Polish surname likely derived from a nickname for someone with grey or ash-colored hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Szarko. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Szarko 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Szarko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Szarko, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Szarko
The surname SZARKO is of Polish origin, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the small village of Szarków, located in the Łódź Voivodeship region of central Poland. The name itself is derived from the Polish word "szary," meaning "gray" or "ashen," possibly referring to the color of the soil or terrain in the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SZARKO surname can be found in the parish records of Zgierz, a town near Łódź, dating back to the late 1500s. These records mention a family by the name of SZARKO residing in the vicinity. It is likely that the name spread from this region as families migrated or established new settlements.
In the 17th century, the SZARKO name appears in various historical documents and records throughout central Poland, particularly in the Łódź and Mazovian regions. During this time, the surname was sometimes spelled as "Szarko," "Szarkov," or "Szarkow," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
One notable individual bearing the SZARKO surname was Jan SZARKO (1625-1689), a Polish nobleman and landowner who held significant influence in the Łowicz region during the latter part of the 17th century. Records indicate that he owned substantial tracts of land and played an active role in local affairs.
Another prominent figure was Michał SZARKO (1740-1815), a renowned Catholic priest and theologian from the Płock region. He was widely respected for his scholarly works and contributions to religious education during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In the 19th century, the SZARKO surname gained further recognition with Józef SZARKO (1821-1892), a Polish painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraits. His works were celebrated in artistic circles and can be found in various museums and private collections throughout Poland.
Towards the latter part of the 19th century, Stanisław SZARKO (1865-1937) made a name for himself as a pioneering industrialist and entrepreneur. He established several successful textile factories in the Łódź region, which played a crucial role in the city's development as a major industrial center.
Lastly, Maria SZARKO (1892-1976) was a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights in the early 20th century. She founded several schools and educational institutions, particularly in the Mazovian region, and worked tirelessly to promote equal opportunities for women in education and professional fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Szarko
Among Census respondents with the surname Szarko, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Szarko 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 Szarko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino10.7% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Szarko
Szarko 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+6 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,300 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,554 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 3,300 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 1,554 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 Szarko 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 | #152,628 | #154,182 | -1.0% |
| Count | 107 | 103 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Szarko bearers went from 107 to 103 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 1,554 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #154,182.
FAQ
Szarko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Szarko?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Szarko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Szarko?
Szarko ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Szarko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Szarko.
Has Szarko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Szarko went from 107 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Szarko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Szarko, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%). 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 Szarko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Szarko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (10.7%). 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 Szarko (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 Szarko mean?
A Polish surname likely derived from a nickname for someone with grey or ash-colored hair. 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 Szarko (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 Szarko?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.