2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wiercioch
A Polish surname likely derived from the word "wiercić" meaning "to drill" or "to bore".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Wiercioch. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wiercioch 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Wiercioch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiercioch, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wiercioch
The surname Wiercioch originates from Poland, a country in Central Europe. The name is generally believed to have its roots in the medieval period, most likely around the 14th to 15th centuries. It has its origins in the regions of Lesser Poland, an area that historically has been a cultural and political center of the country.
Wiercioch is believed to be derived from the Old Polish word "wiercić," which means "to drill" or "to bore." This suggests that the name could have initially been occupational, perhaps denoting someone involved in carpentry, drilling, or some form of craftsmanship requiring such skills. Additionally, the suffix "-och" is a common Slavic linguistic addition that could indicate descent or relation.
Historical references to this surname are sparse, but older records do exist. The name Wiercioch appears in several church documents and town registries from the 16th and 17th centuries. These documents are invaluable in tracing the lineage and spread of the family name. For instance, a Krzysztof Wiercioch is mentioned in a church record from 1610 in the town of Krakow, indicating the presence of the surname in significant Polish cities.
The earliest recorded example of the name dates back to a Jan Wiercioch, who was born around 1492 and is noted in land ownership documents from the region of Lesser Poland. Records describing land transfers and legal disputes often provide insights into the presence and status of individuals bearing this surname during the late medieval period.
One notable individual with the surname is Stanisław Wiercioch, a military figure who served in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army during the early 17th century. His service is documented in military records from the reign of King Sigismund III Vasa, indicating his involvement in the various conflicts of that era.
Another significant figure is Antoni Wiercioch, a noted botanist born in 1756 who contributed to the early scientific study of Poland’s flora. His works were among the earliest attempts to catalog plant species in the region, and he is frequently cited in botanical studies from the late 18th to early 19th century.
In more modern history, Andrzej Wiercioch, an artist born in 1898, is recognized for his contributions to Polish art between the two World Wars. His paintings often depicted pastoral scenes and historical events, capturing the essence of Polish rural life and history during a tumultuous period.
The Wiercioch name also appears in legal documents from the 1800s, with Zofia Wiercioch, a notable figure in women's rights movements in Poland during the latter half of the 19th century. Her advocacy helped to push forward early discussions on gender equality and education.
Lastly, another historical mention is Adam Wiercioch, an educator and philosopher born in 1827, who penned numerous works on Polish cultural identity and education reforms during the partition period. His contributions to literature and education were recognized and celebrated during the Polish national revival of the late 19th century.
The surname Wiercioch has evolved but retains its unique historical and cultural significance, reflecting the rich history and varied contributions of its bearers. The lineage of the Wiercioch family offers a window into the socio-political and cultural life of Poland from medieval times to the present.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiercioch
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiercioch, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiercioch 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 Wiercioch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiercioch
Wiercioch 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
#118,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+13 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,477 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-26 bearers (-17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,196 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,853 | 146 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 1,477 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-17.8%) | Down 23,196 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 Wiercioch 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 | #118,853 | #142,049 | -19.5% |
| Count | 146 | 120 | -17.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiercioch bearers went from 146 to 120 (-17.8% change). The surname moved down 23,196 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,853 to #142,049.
FAQ
Wiercioch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiercioch?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Wiercioch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Wiercioch?
Wiercioch ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Wiercioch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Wiercioch.
Has Wiercioch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiercioch went from 146 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 26 (-17.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,853 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiercioch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiercioch, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Wiercioch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiercioch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Wiercioch (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 Wiercioch mean?
A Polish surname likely derived from the word "wiercić" meaning "to drill" or "to bore". 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 Wiercioch (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 are called Wiercioch?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Wiercioch? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.