2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Tempalski
A Polish surname derived from the word "tempelek," meaning a small temple.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Tempalski. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tempalski 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Tempalski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tempalski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tempalski
The surname TEMPALSKI is of Polish origin, with roots tracing back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Tempelewo, located in the Warmian-Masurian region of northern Poland. The name likely derived from the old Polish word "templa," meaning "temple" or "church," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near a prominent religious structure or worked in a church-related capacity.
In ancient records, the name appears in various spellings such as Tempelski, Tempelski, and Tempelowski, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations of the time. One of the earliest documented references to the TEMPALSKI surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Olsztyn, dated 1564, where a certain Jan Tempelski is mentioned as a landowner.
During the 17th century, the TEMPALSKI name gained recognition with the rise of Jakub TEMPALSKI, a renowned Polish scholar and theologian born in 1623. He authored several influential works on religious philosophy and served as a professor at the prestigious Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
In the 18th century, the TEMPALSKI family produced a notable figure in the form of Stanisław TEMPALSKI (1743-1817), a Polish military officer who fought in the Kościuszko Uprising against Russian and Prussian forces. His bravery and leadership during the battle of Racławice earned him a place in the annals of Polish history.
Another prominent individual bearing the TEMPALSKI surname was Józef TEMPALSKI (1798-1876), a celebrated painter and art teacher who played a significant role in the development of Polish romantic landscape painting. His works, often depicting the scenic beauty of his homeland, are cherished as part of the nation's cultural heritage.
In the 20th century, the TEMPALSKI name gained international recognition through the accomplishments of Zofia TEMPALSKA (1905-1988), a distinguished Polish-American writer and journalist. She authored numerous novels and short stories, many of which explored the experiences of Polish immigrants in the United States.
The TEMPALSKI surname continues to be prevalent in Poland and among Polish diaspora communities worldwide, carrying with it a rich historical legacy that spans centuries of cultural and societal contributions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tempalski
Among Census respondents with the surname Tempalski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tempalski 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 Tempalski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tempalski
Tempalski appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+6 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,073 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.9%) | Up 8,073 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 Tempalski 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 | #159,712 | #151,639 | 5.1% |
| Count | 101 | 107 | 5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tempalski bearers went from 101 to 107 (+5.9% change). The surname moved up 8,073 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #151,639.
FAQ
Tempalski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tempalski?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Tempalski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Tempalski?
Tempalski ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Tempalski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Tempalski.
Has Tempalski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tempalski went from 101 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 6 (+5.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Tempalski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tempalski, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Tempalski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tempalski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Tempalski (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 Tempalski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "tempelek," meaning a small temple. 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 Tempalski (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 surname Tempalski?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.