2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Winkowitsch
A Slavic surname derived from a place name or describing someone from a particular location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Winkowitsch. 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 Winkowitsch 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 Winkowitsch 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 Winkowitsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winkowitsch
The surname Winkowitsch has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly within the historical regions of Poland and Germany. It is a name deeply rooted in the Slavic linguistic traditions. The name likely originates from the Slavic elements "winko," which is a diminutive of names like Wincenty or Winfried, meaning "to win" or "victory," combined with the Germanic suffix "witsch" or "vitsch," which signifies patronymic lineage, indicating "son of."
Winkowitsch is tied to regions that were once part of the Kingdom of Poland and later influenced by the Germanic states, particularly during the times of the Holy Roman Empire. The earliest references to similar names can be found in medieval Polish records. For instance, the name appears in the 13th century, during the late Piast dynasty period in Poland, as local nobles and knights often recorded their lineage officially.
One of the earliest recorded examples of a person with a similar surname is Jan Winkowicz, a noble mentioned in a 14th-century Polish manuscript that detailed land grants and titles in Mazovia. Another early figure is Heinrich Winkowitsch, who appeared in Germanic court documents of the Hanseatic League during the late 15th century, specifically in the city records of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland).
By the 17th century, the name appeared in various forms in Prussian records. Friedrich Winkowitsch, born in 1652, was a notable merchant in Königsberg, now Kaliningrad, Russia. He played a significant role in the regional trade between Prussia and the Baltic states. His activities are well documented in the trade archives of the time, highlighting the prominence of his family name in the merchant class.
In the 18th century, the name can be found in religious records in Silesia, a region influenced by both Polish and German cultures. Clara Winkowitsch, born in 1723, is mentioned in church baptismal records. The records of local parishes often provide vital links to understanding the spread and evolution of the surname in the region.
By the 19th century, waves of emigration brought the name Winkowitsch to other parts of the world. Alexander Winkowitsch, born in 1805 in Poznan, migrated to the United States in 1848, part of a broader movement of Central European immigrants seeking new opportunities after the failed revolutions of 1848. His records appear in New York’s immigration documents, reflecting the global spread of the surname.
Throughout history, the name Winkowitsch has morphed slightly with spelling variations but consistently retained its distinctive Slavic-Germanic roots. Despite its evolution and migration, the core meaning linked to victory and lineage remains an integral part of its identity. The history of the surname Winkowitsch is thus a tapestry woven through different periods and regions, each adding to its rich heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winkowitsch
Among Census respondents with the surname Winkowitsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Winkowitsch 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 Winkowitsch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winkowitsch
Winkowitsch 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+7 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,353 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 2,353 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 7,498 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 Winkowitsch 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 | #144,141 | #151,639 | -5.2% |
| Count | 115 | 107 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winkowitsch bearers went from 115 to 107 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 7,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #151,639.
FAQ
Winkowitsch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winkowitsch?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Winkowitsch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Winkowitsch?
Winkowitsch 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 Winkowitsch. 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 Winkowitsch.
Has Winkowitsch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winkowitsch went from 115 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Winkowitsch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winkowitsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (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 Winkowitsch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winkowitsch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Hispanic (2.8%), Black (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 Winkowitsch (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 Winkowitsch mean?
A Slavic surname derived from a place name or describing someone from a particular location. 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 Winkowitsch (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 Winkowitsch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.