2000
#86,992
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 199
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Wloch
A surname of Polish origin meaning "wanderer" or "foreigner".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 260 Americans carry the last name Wloch. That puts it at #87,947 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,318,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wloch 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Wloch with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
260
1 in 1,318,286
Census rank
#87,947
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
227
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 227 bearers of the surname Wloch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 87947th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wloch, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wloch
The surname Wloch has its origins in Poland, deriving from an old Polish or Slavic term. The name’s roots can be traced back to medieval Poland, specifically around the 13th and 14th centuries. It originates from the Polish word "Włoch," meaning an Italian or someone from Italy. This etymology points to the historical interactions between Poland and Italy, where individuals from Italy settled in Poland or had significant cultural exchange.
The word "Włoch" itself is closely related to the term "Vlachs," which was used throughout Eastern Europe to refer to Romanians or other Latin-speaking populations within the Carpathian region. The surname likely began to emerge as peasants, traders, or soldiers moved and settled in various parts of Poland, leaving their mark on local records.
The surname Wloch appears in old Polish records dating back to the 15th century. One of the earliest mentions of a person with this surname is Jan Wloch, a trader mentioned in Kraków's merchant documents from 1487. These records, preserved in municipal archives, show the mobility and integration of people with this surname into Polish society.
Over time, the surname spread to different regions of Poland. By the 16th century, it could be found in various voivodeships including Lesser Poland and Masovia. Variants of the surname such as Wloka or Wloh were also documented, showing linguistic adaptations and regional differences in spelling.
Famous historical figures bearing the surname include Piotr Wloch, born in 1501, who was known for his work in the field of herbal medicine and his contributions to early botanical studies in Poland. Another notable individual is Kazimierz Wloch, a 17th-century poet whose works captured much of the political and social turmoil of his time.
In the 18th century, the surname becomes associated with military service. Stanislaw Wloch, a soldier born in 1735, fought in the Bar Confederation, which opposed Russian influence in Polish affairs. His military career and bravery were recorded in several military documents of that period.
Moving into the 19th century, the Wloch surname continues to appear in educational and cultural records. Zofia Wloch, born in 1820, was a renowned educator and advocate for women's education in Poland. She established several schools in Warsaw and wrote extensively on educational reform, making significant contributions to the Polish educational system.
In summary, the surname Wloch has a rich history originating from Poland, linked closely with the migration and settlement of Italian and Latin-speaking populations. Through centuries, individuals with this surname have made their mark in various fields such as trade, medicine, literature, military, and education, leaving a durable legacy that speaks to the integration and contributions of their bearers to Polish society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wloch
Among Census respondents with the surname Wloch, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wloch 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 Wloch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 217
- Black or African American2.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
- Two or more races0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wloch
Wloch 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
#82,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 230
+31 bearers (+15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 4,948 places
2020
#87,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 227
-3 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 5,903 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #86,992 | 199 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,044 | 230 | 0.08 | +31 bearers (+15.6%) | Up 4,948 places |
| 2020 | #87,947 | 227 | 0.08 | -3 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 5,903 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 Wloch 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 | #82,044 | #87,947 | -7.2% |
| Count | 230 | 227 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wloch bearers went from 230 to 227 (-1.3% change). The surname moved down 5,903 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,044 to #87,947.
FAQ
Wloch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wloch?
Name Census estimates that about 260 living Americans carry the surname Wloch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,318,286 residents.
How common is Wloch?
Wloch ranks #87,947 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 227 people with the surname Wloch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (260), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Wloch.
Has Wloch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wloch went from 230 recorded bearers to 227. That is a decrease of 3 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #82,044 to #87,947.
What does the Census say about the background of Wloch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wloch, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.6%) and Hispanic (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 Wloch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (217 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wloch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Black (2.6%), Hispanic (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 Wloch (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 Wloch mean?
A surname of Polish origin meaning "wanderer" or "foreigner". 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 Wloch (0.08 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 common is the surname Wloch?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Wloch on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.