Zakowski last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Zakowski

A Polish surname likely derived from a place name containing the root "zak" meaning marsh or swamp.

Zakowski, 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 Zakowski surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zakowski in America

Zakowski is the 60045th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zakowski surname appeared 336 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 Zakowski.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zakowski 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 60045 58397 2.78%
Count 336 325 3.33%
Proportion per 100k 0.11 0.12 -8.70%

The history of the last name Zakowski

The surname Zakowski originates from Poland, a country in Central Europe, with a history dating back to at least the Middle Ages. The name derives from the Polish word "zak," which means "monk" or "hermit," combined with the suffix "-owski," typically denoting a location or nobility. Essentially, Zakowski likely means "one who is from the place of the monks" or "one belonging to a monastery or hermitage."

The regions where the Zakowski surname was most prevalent include Masovia, Lesser Poland, and Pomerania. These areas were historically vibrant centers of Polish culture and religion, which aligns well with the monk-like etymology of the surname. In these regions, the name could have originally been tied to a village or estate owned by, or dedicated to, a monastic order.

Zakowski appears in old records and manuscripts from the 15th century. For example, in 1452, a manuscript detailing the lands owned by a monastery in Lesser Poland mentions a family with the surname Zakowski. This suggests that the family's origins were indeed tied to religious institutions or land holdings connected to the church.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Zakowski can be found in a 16th-century document listing noble families in the Masovia region. In 1547, a nobleman named Jan Zakowski is recorded as having a seat in a local council. Jan Zakowski's presence in such records indicates that the family had some degree of social standing and influence during this period.

Another notable individual from the Zakowski lineage is Stanisław Zakowski, born in 1613 and died in 1686, who served as a provincial governor in Pomerania. His governance marks an important period in the history of the surname, emphasizing its connection to leadership and local administration.

In the 18th century, a significant figure was Józef Zakowski, born in 1729 and died in 1793, who was a respected scholar and theologian associated with the University of Kraków. His academic work contributed to the intellectual landscape of Poland during the Enlightenment.

Moving into the 19th century, Maria Zakowska, born in 1841 and died in 1902, was a renowned painter whose works are still celebrated in Polish art history. Her artistic talents brought the Zakowski name a degree of fame in cultural circles.

In the early 20th century, Władysław Zakowski, born in 1882 and died in 1943, was a prominent politician and mayor of a major town in Masovia during the interwar period. His political career marked a significant chapter for the Zakowski surname in public service and governance.

Throughout history, the Zakowski surname has been associated with monastic origins, nobility, governance, intellectual pursuit, and artistic achievements. Its rich legacy is reflected in the contributions of various individuals bearing this name across centuries in Poland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zakowski

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

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 Zakowski was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 97.62% 328
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Zakowski has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 97.62% 99.08% -1.48%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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 Zakowski was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Zakowski last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/zakowski-surname-popularity/.

"Zakowski last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/zakowski-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Zakowski last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/zakowski-surname-popularity/.

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