2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Szulewski
A Polish surname likely derived from a place name referring to an area of alder trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Szulewski. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Szulewski 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Szulewski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Szulewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Szulewski
The surname SZULEWSKI originated from Poland in the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "szuler", which means "cheat" or "swindler". This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone who was known for their deceitful or dishonest behavior.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name SZULEWSKI can be found in the historical records of Krakow, Poland, dated back to the late 1500s. The name appeared in a document listing local tradesmen and merchants, indicating that the family may have been involved in business or commerce during that time.
In the 17th century, the SZULEWSKI name was also found in the records of the Polish nobility, suggesting that some members of the family had achieved a higher social status. One notable individual was Jan SZULEWSKI, a Polish landowner and military officer who fought in the Polish-Swedish War during the mid-1600s.
As the SZULEWSKI family spread across Poland and beyond, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as SZULOWSKI, SZULEWICZ, and SZULOWICZ. These alternative spellings often reflected regional dialects or differences in pronunciation.
One of the most famous individuals with the SZULEWSKI surname was Stanisław SZULEWSKI (1871-1942), a Polish artist and painter who was known for his landscape and portrait works. His paintings can be found in several museums and galleries throughout Poland.
Another notable figure was Józef SZULEWSKI (1875-1956), a Polish engineer and inventor who played a significant role in the development of early aviation technology. He designed and built several experimental aircraft in the early 20th century.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the SZULEWSKI name was also found among Polish immigrants who settled in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. Some of these individuals were seeking economic opportunities or fleeing political unrest in their homeland.
Throughout its history, the SZULEWSKI surname has been associated with various occupations, from tradesmen and merchants to military personnel, artists, and inventors. While its origins may have been linked to a less-than-flattering nickname, the name has since been carried by many accomplished individuals who have contributed to their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Szulewski
Among Census respondents with the surname Szulewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Szulewski 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 Szulewski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Szulewski
Szulewski 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,961 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 12,961 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,715 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 Szulewski 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 | #145,220 | #150,935 | -3.9% |
| Count | 114 | 108 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Szulewski bearers went from 114 to 108 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,715 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #150,935.
FAQ
Szulewski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Szulewski?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Szulewski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Szulewski?
Szulewski ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Szulewski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Szulewski.
Has Szulewski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Szulewski went from 114 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Szulewski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Szulewski, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (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 Szulewski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Szulewski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Hispanic (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 Szulewski (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 Szulewski mean?
A Polish surname likely derived from a place name referring to an area of alder 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 Szulewski (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 common is the surname Szulewski?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Szulewski on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.