Find out how popular the last name Toporowski is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Toporowski.

Toporowski, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Toporowski surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toporowski in America

Toporowski is the 143149th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toporowski surname appeared 116 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Toporowski.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toporowski to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Toporowski

The surname Toporowski is of Polish origin, derived from the Polish word "topor," which means "axe." It likely originated in the medieval period and was initially used as a descriptive name for someone whose occupation involved working with axes, such as a woodcutter or lumberjack.

The earliest recorded instances of the Toporowski surname can be traced back to the 15th century in various regions of Poland. It's possible that the name first emerged in areas with significant forestry or timber industries, where the use of axes was prevalent. The name may have also been associated with certain Polish towns or villages, though records of such connections are scarce.

One notable historical reference to the Toporowski name is found in the "Liber Beneficiorum" (Book of Benefices), a 15th-century manuscript that documented ecclesiastical appointments and land grants in the Archdiocese of Gniezno, Poland. The document mentions a certain "Petrus Toporowski," who was granted a benefice (church property) in the village of Kościelec in the year 1489.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the Toporowski surname was Jan Toporowski (c. 1520-1589), a Polish nobleman and military leader. He served as a court marshal and played a significant role in the Polish-Muscovite War of 1577-1582, leading Polish forces to several victories against the Russians.

Another notable individual with the Toporowski name was Franciszek Toporowski (1770-1848), a Polish priest and historian. He authored several works on the history of Poland, including a renowned book titled "Dzieje Polskie" (Polish History), published in 1836.

In the 19th century, Władysław Toporowski (1835-1892) was a prominent Polish painter and art teacher. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and later became a professor at the same institution, where he taught for many years and influenced a generation of Polish artists.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Józef Toporowski (1858-1919) was a Polish engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing one of the earliest designs for a helicopter, and his work contributed to the advancement of aeronautical engineering in Poland.

As the Toporowski surname spread across Poland and beyond, various spellings and variations emerged, including Toporowski, Toporowski, Toporowsky, and Toporovsky. These variations often reflected regional dialects or adaptations to different languages, but they all trace their roots back to the original Polish surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toporowski

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Toporowski.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Toporowski was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Toporowski has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Toporowski was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Toporowski, please contact us.

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