2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Szypula
A Polish surname likely derived from the Polish word "szypa" meaning "shaft" or "mine".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Szypula. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Szypula 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Szypula in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Szypula, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Szypula
The surname Szypula is of Polish origin, emerging in the late 15th or early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Polish word "szypa," which referred to a type of shrub or bush. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with these types of plants.
One of the earliest known references to the Szypula name dates back to 1519, when it was recorded in the town of Bydgoszcz, located in northern Poland. During this period, it was not uncommon for surnames to be based on occupations, physical characteristics, or geographical locations.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the Szypula name began to spread across various regions of Poland, particularly in the central and eastern parts of the country. Some historical records from this time indicate that the name was also associated with certain noble families or landowners.
Notable individuals bearing the Szypula surname from earlier centuries include Piotr Szypula (1620-1692), a prominent Polish military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish War, and Kazimierz Szypula (1733-1802), a respected scholar and writer who authored several works on Polish history and culture.
In the 19th century, the Szypula name continued to be present in various parts of Poland, with some families migrating to other parts of Europe or even further afield. For example, Jan Szypula (1844-1912) was a Polish-born architect who made significant contributions to the development of urban planning in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Another noteworthy figure was Maria Szypula (1879-1961), a Polish activist and educator who championed women's rights and founded several schools in her native region of Galicia.
As the 20th century dawned, the Szypula name spread even further, with some individuals emigrating to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. One such individual was Franciszek Szypula (1902-1984), a Polish-American artist and sculptor whose works were widely acclaimed in both his homeland and the United States.
Throughout its history, the Szypula surname has maintained a strong connection to its Polish roots, with many families taking pride in their heritage and contributing to various aspects of society, whether in the fields of art, literature, military service, or academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Szypula
Among Census respondents with the surname Szypula, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Szypula 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 Szypula surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Szypula
Szypula 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+7 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,467 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 2,467 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,207 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 Szypula 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 | #138,304 | #143,511 | -3.8% |
| Count | 121 | 118 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Szypula bearers went from 121 to 118 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,207 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #143,511.
FAQ
Szypula surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Szypula?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Szypula. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Szypula?
Szypula ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Szypula. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Szypula.
Has Szypula become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Szypula went from 121 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Szypula?
Among Census respondents with the surname Szypula, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Szypula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Szypula appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (4.2%), Black (1.7%). 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 Szypula (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 Szypula mean?
A Polish surname likely derived from the Polish word "szypa" meaning "shaft" or "mine". 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 Szypula (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 Szypula?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.