2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Woloski
A Polish surname derived from a place name referring to an inhabitant of Woloszki or a similar location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Woloski. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woloski 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Woloski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woloski, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woloski
The surname Woloski originates from Poland, a country rich in history and culture. The name is believed to have first appeared during the medieval period, likely in the 14th or 15th century. Woloski is a toponymic surname, meaning it was derived from the name of a place where the original bearer of the name lived or owned land. The name Woloski is derived from the Polish word "Wolosc," meaning "estate" or "land," and the suffix "-ski," which signifies "of" or "from" in Polish. This indicates that the original Woloski family likely hailed from an estate or region named Wolosc or a similar place.
The earliest references to the surname Woloski can be traced back to various historical records and manuscripts in Poland. One of the first documented instances appears in the 15th century in the chronicles of Mazovia, an ancient region of Poland. It is mentioned that a noble family by the name of Woloski owned considerable land in this region. In the 16th century, the name appeared in tax records and legal documents, indicating the family's continued prominence.
An early recorded example of the name is Jan Woloski, born circa 1480 and noted as a landowner in Mazovia. He is mentioned in the 1511 tax registers, which recorded his contributions to the local coffers. By the 17th century, the Woloski family had spread to other parts of Poland and the neighboring regions, suggesting their landownership and influence were growing.
In the 18th century, another notable bear was Piotr Woloski, born in 1723. He was a prominent figure in his local community, involved in the administration of his estate near Kraków. His name appears in several legal documents from the period, indicating his position and influence. Piotr Woloski and other members of the family often engaged in political and social activities that marked their significance in the region.
The name's evolution can be observed through its spelling variations, such as Wolowski or Wolosky, that appeared in various historical documents. These variations emerged due to different transliterations and regional dialects. A notable individual with the surname Woloski in the 19th century was Aleksander Woloski, born in 1820. He was an educator and writer who contributed to Polish literature and educational reforms. His published works and involvement in academic circles underscore the intellectual legacy associated with the surname.
Wiktoria Woloski, born in 1855, was another significant figure. She became known for her philanthropic efforts in Warsaw, establishing foundations and charity organizations to aid the poor. Her legacy is commemorated in several historical accounts detailing her contributions to social welfare.
Throughout history, the surname Woloski has maintained a presence in Polish society, with individuals bearing the name contributing to various facets of life, including landownership, education, and philanthropy. The name itself, derived from the notion of land and estate, underscores the family's connection to their heritage and their role in shaping the regions they inhabited.
Expanding through time, the Woloski surname remains a testament to the family's enduring legacy in Polish history. Combining their economic, social, and cultural contributions, the Woloski name encapsulates a storied past rooted in the very fabric of Poland's historical landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woloski
Among Census respondents with the surname Woloski, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Woloski 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 Woloski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.8% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino14.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woloski
Woloski 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
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-12 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 10,441 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 Woloski 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 | #143,149 | #153,590 | -7.3% |
| Count | 116 | 104 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woloski bearers went from 116 to 104 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 10,441 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #153,590.
FAQ
Woloski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woloski?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Woloski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Woloski?
Woloski ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Woloski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Woloski.
Has Woloski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woloski went from 116 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Woloski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woloski, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Woloski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.8% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woloski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.8%), Hispanic (14.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Woloski (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 Woloski mean?
A Polish surname derived from a place name referring to an inhabitant of Woloszki or a similar 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 Woloski (0.03 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 Woloski?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.