2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zawilinski
A Polish surname indicating someone from the village of Zawilino.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Zawilinski. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zawilinski 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Zawilinski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zawilinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zawilinski
The surname Zawilinski has its origins in Poland, a country with a rich history and diverse cultural heritage. The name is of Polish linguistic roots and can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 15th or 16th century. It is primarily associated with the areas within present-day central and eastern Poland, particularly in the Mazovian region.
Zawilinski is derived from the Polish word "zawilec," which means "a person from or living near a winding path or bend." This name likely referred to individuals who lived near meandering roads or rivers, a common feature of the Polish landscape. The suffix “-ski” is a typical Polish locational suffix that means "of" or "from," suggesting a geographical origin. Hence, Zawilinski might translate to "one from the place near the winding path."
Historical references to the surname Zawilinski are sparse in medieval Polish records, but it is mentioned in various church and municipal documents from the early modern period. One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname is found in the parish registers of Warsaw in the 17th century, which documented the name in connection with land transactions and civic duties.
A significant record of the surname appears in the late 18th century with a notable figure, Jan Zawilinski (1735-1802), a landowner and local magistrate in the Mazovian region. His contributions to local governance during the partitions of Poland are documented in regional chronicles. Another figure, Stanisław Zawilinski (1768-1849), was a Polish noble and military officer who fought in the Kościuszko Uprising against foreign domination.
By the 19th century, the name Zawilinski had spread to other parts of Poland and even into parts of Galicia and Ukraine, which were influenced by Polish culture. During this time, Michał Zawilinski (1825-1887), a businessman and philanthropist from Kraków, gained recognition for his charitable works and support of Polish independence movements.
The 20th century saw the name carried overseas due to migration, with significant Polish communities settling in North America. One noted example is Józef Zawilinski (1883-1962), who emigrated to the United States and became a prominent figure in the Polish-American community in Chicago, remembered for his efforts in preserving Polish heritage among immigrants.
Another individual of interest is Maria Zawilinska (1895-1973), an educator and writer who played a role in advocating for women's education in Poland. Her published works on the cultural history of Poland remain an important resource for historians studying early 20th-century Polish society.
The surname Zawilinski, with its deep roots in Polish history, reflects a connection to the land and the significant contributions of its bearers across various periods. It is a testament to the enduring nature of surnames and their ability to encapsulate historical narratives within their linguistic structure.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zawilinski
Among Census respondents with the surname Zawilinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zawilinski 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 Zawilinski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 8
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zawilinski
Zawilinski 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,119 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 152 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 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 13,119 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 152 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 Zawilinski 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 | #154,907 | #154,755 | 0.1% |
| Count | 105 | 102 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zawilinski bearers went from 105 to 102 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,755.
FAQ
Zawilinski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zawilinski?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Zawilinski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Zawilinski?
Zawilinski ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Zawilinski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Zawilinski.
Has Zawilinski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zawilinski went from 105 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Zawilinski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zawilinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Zawilinski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zawilinski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (7.8%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Zawilinski (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 Zawilinski mean?
A Polish surname indicating someone from the village of Zawilino. 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 Zawilinski (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 common is the surname Zawilinski?
See how many people have the surname Zawilinski on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.