2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Szyper
A Polish surname derived from the word "szyper" meaning "skipper" or "helmsman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Szyper. 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 Szyper 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 Szyper 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 Szyper, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Szyper
The surname Szyper is of Polish origin, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "szyper," which means "boatman" or "sailor." This name likely originated in coastal regions of Poland, where maritime activities were prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Szyper can be found in the records of the city of Gdansk, a major port on the Baltic Sea. In 1587, a merchant named Jan Szyper was documented as residing in the city, suggesting the surname's connection to maritime professions.
During the 17th century, the name Szyper appeared in several historical documents related to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. For instance, in 1642, a nobleman named Kazimierz Szyper was mentioned in the court records of the city of Krakow.
In the 18th century, the name Szyper was associated with a prominent family from the town of Puck, located on the Bay of Puck in northern Poland. This region was known for its fishing and shipbuilding industries, further solidifying the surname's maritime origins.
One notable figure with the surname Szyper was Andrzej Szyper (1734-1801), a Polish naval officer and explorer. He is renowned for his expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and his role in mapping several islands in the region.
Another individual of historical significance was Marcin Szyper (1788-1867), a Polish writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Polish literary scene during the Romantic era. His works often explored themes of national identity and the struggles of the Polish people.
In the 19th century, the Szyper family expanded their presence across various regions of Poland. For instance, in 1837, a prominent landowner named Stanislaw Szyper was documented as owning vast estates in the Krakow region.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the name Szyper also appeared in records related to the Polish diaspora. In 1892, a family with the surname Szyper was recorded as settling in the United States, particularly in the city of Chicago, which had a sizeable Polish community at the time.
Throughout its history, the surname Szyper has maintained strong connections to its maritime origins, reflecting the significance of seafaring and coastal activities in shaping the cultural identity of Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Szyper
Among Census respondents with the surname Szyper, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Szyper 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 Szyper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Szyper
Szyper 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,333 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 5,333 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 6,297 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 Szyper 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 | #143,149 | #149,446 | -4.4% |
| Count | 116 | 110 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Szyper bearers went from 116 to 110 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 6,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #149,446.
FAQ
Szyper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Szyper?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Szyper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Szyper?
Szyper 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 Szyper. 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 Szyper.
Has Szyper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Szyper went from 116 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Szyper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Szyper, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%) and Two or More Races (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 Szyper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Szyper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%), Two or More Races (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 Szyper (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 Szyper mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "szyper" meaning "skipper" or "helmsman." 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 Szyper (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 people have the last name Szyper?
You can see how common the surname Szyper is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.