2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zalesny
A surname of Polish origin meaning "from the woods" or "from the forest".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 164 Americans carry the last name Zalesny. That puts it at #125,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,089,965 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zalesny 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
164
1 in 2,089,965
Census rank
#125,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
143
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 143 bearers of the surname Zalesny in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 125732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zalesny, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zalesny
The surname Zalesny originates from Poland and is deeply rooted in the Slavic linguistic traditions. The name is derived from the Polish word "za lasem," which translates to "behind the forest" in English. This etymology suggests that the early bearers of the surname likely lived near or in proximity to a forested area. The suffix "ny" in Slavic names typically denotes a connection or relation to a place, indicating a geographical or locational origin.
Historically, the surname Zalesny first appeared in written records during the medieval period. One of the earliest references can be traced back to the 15th century, during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth era. The name was particularly common in the Masovian and Lesser Poland regions, where dense forests were prevalent and provided a natural setting for the name's meaning.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named Jan Zalesny, born in 1530 and died in 1598, was recorded in the annals of Krakow, Poland, as a respected merchant. His economic activities and contributions to the city's trade were well documented in municipal records. Another early mention includes Katarzyna Zalesny, born in 1565 and died in 1623, who was known for her philanthropic efforts in the town of Poznań.
During the 18th century, Piotr Zalesny, who lived from 1720 to 1785, emerged as a prominent landowner in the Sandomierz region. His extensive estates and innovative farming techniques were noted in agricultural records of the time. Additionally, in the 19th century, the name appeared in military contexts, with Captain Stanisław Zalesny, born in 1821 and died in 1887, serving with distinction in the November Uprising against Russian rule.
In Warsaw's archives from the early 20th century, records highlight a scholar named Maria Zalesny, born in 1889 and died in 1954. Her contributions to Polish literature and her work in translating classical texts garnered acclaim in academic circles. Historical documentation such as these provide glimpses into the widespread and varied presence of individuals carrying the surname Zalesny across Polish history.
Collectively, these records depict the surname Zalesny as one associated with diverse fields such as trade, philanthropy, landowning, military service, and academia, reflecting its deep and multifaceted historical roots in Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zalesny
Among Census respondents with the surname Zalesny, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zalesny 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 Zalesny surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 129
- Two or more races4.2% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zalesny
Zalesny 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
#118,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
+2 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,820 places
2020
#125,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
-4 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,547 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,185 | 147 | 0.05 | +2 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 5,820 places |
| 2020 | #125,732 | 143 | 0.05 | -4 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 7,547 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 Zalesny 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 | #118,185 | #125,732 | -6.4% |
| Count | 147 | 143 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zalesny bearers went from 147 to 143 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 7,547 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,185 to #125,732.
FAQ
Zalesny surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zalesny?
Name Census estimates that about 164 living Americans carry the surname Zalesny. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,089,965 residents.
How common is Zalesny?
Zalesny ranks #125,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 143 people with the surname Zalesny. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (164), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Zalesny.
Has Zalesny become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zalesny went from 147 recorded bearers to 143. That is a decrease of 4 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,185 to #125,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Zalesny?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zalesny, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Zalesny in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (129 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zalesny appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Zalesny (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 Zalesny mean?
A surname of Polish origin meaning "from the woods" or "from the forest". 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 Zalesny (0.05 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 share the surname Zalesny?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.