2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Szych
A Polish surname derived from the Polish noun "szych," meaning "layer" or "stacker."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 141 Americans carry the last name Szych. That puts it at #139,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,430,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Szych 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
141
1 in 2,430,882
Census rank
#139,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
123
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 123 bearers of the surname Szych in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Szych, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Szych
The surname SZYCH is of Polish origin, originating in the late medieval period around the 15th century. It is derived from the Polish word "szych," which referred to a military rank or position, similar to a sergeant or standard-bearer. The name likely originated in the Polish regions of Silesia and Lesser Poland, where many Polish military regiments were based during this time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SZYCH surname can be found in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of court records from the town of Krakow, dating back to the 16th century. In these records, there are mentions of individuals with the SZYCH surname serving in various military capacities.
The SZYCH surname also appears in various Polish parish records and tax registers from the 17th and 18th centuries, indicating its prevalence in areas such as Kielce, Radom, and Sandomierz. One notable example is Jan SZYCH, born in 1642 in the village of Rzemień, who was a local landowner and served as a magistrate in the nearby town of Opatów.
During the 19th century, the SZYCH surname became more widespread across Polish territories, with several individuals bearing the name achieving notable positions. One such figure was Józef SZYCH (1800-1872), a prominent lawyer and political activist who played a role in the November Uprising of 1830-1831, a major Polish revolt against Russian imperial rule.
Another notable bearer of the SZYCH surname was Franciszek SZYCH (1841-1902), a Polish painter and art professor who taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. His works, depicting scenes of Polish history and folklore, are displayed in several museums across Poland.
In the 20th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the SZYCH surname was Stanisław SZYCH (1920-1997), a Polish military officer who served in the Polish Armed Forces during World War II and later became a respected military historian and author, publishing numerous books on the history of the Polish military.
While less common outside of Poland, the SZYCH surname can also be found in other parts of Eastern Europe, particularly in areas with historical Polish populations, such as Belarus and Ukraine. However, its roots and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the medieval Polish territories.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Szych
Among Census respondents with the surname Szych, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Szych 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 Szych surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Szych
Szych 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+11 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 313 places
2020
#139,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-16 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,989 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +11 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 313 places |
| 2020 | #139,785 | 123 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 15,989 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 Szych 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 | #123,796 | #139,785 | -12.9% |
| Count | 139 | 123 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -17.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Szych bearers went from 139 to 123 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 15,989 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #139,785.
FAQ
Szych surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Szych?
Name Census estimates that about 141 living Americans carry the surname Szych. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,430,882 residents.
How common is Szych?
Szych ranks #139,785 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 123 people with the surname Szych. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (141), 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 Szych.
Has Szych become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Szych went from 139 recorded bearers to 123. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #139,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Szych?
Among Census respondents with the surname Szych, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Szych in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Szych appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (4.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Szych (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 Szych mean?
A Polish surname derived from the Polish noun "szych," meaning "layer" or "stacker." 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 Szych (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 Szych?
See how many Americans have the surname Szych on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.