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

Zawislak, 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 Zawislak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zawislak in America

Zawislak is the 38948th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zawislak surname appeared 566 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 Zawislak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zawislak 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.

The history of the last name Zawislak

The surname Zawislak is of Polish origin and dates back several centuries. It emanates from regions that are now part of modern-day Poland, particularly from areas in the historical regions of Silesia and Lesser Poland. The name Zawislak appears to be derived from the Old Polish word "zawisły," which translates roughly to "dependent" or "hanging." This could suggest that the original bearers of the name may have been people who lived near hanging trees or suspended objects, or it could perhaps reflect a metaphorical dependence or loyalty.

Historical records indicate that some early documents and manuscripts from the 16th and 17th centuries contain mentions of individuals with variations of this name. One of the earliest references comes from a 1595 village census in Lesser Poland where a Mikolaj Zawislak is listed as a landholder. By the 18th century, the name appears in various regional church records, often in relation to baptisms and marriages.

In the late 18th century, Kazimierz Zawislak, born in 1768 and died in 1825, was documented as a local nobleman and landowner in Silesia. His involvement in the local resistance against external forces during tumultuous times in Poland's history is recorded in a few historical texts. Another notable figure was Jan Zawislak, born in 1820 and passed away in 1892, who was recognized for his contributions to early Polish literature and wrote under a pseudonym in response to political hardships of the era.

The surname also appears in records of immigration during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as many Poles moved to the Americas. One such immigrant was Stanislaw Zawislak, born in 1885, who settled in the United States in 1905. His name appears in Ellis Island records and he later became a prominent community leader in Chicago's Polish neighborhoods.

Another figure of historical note is Helena Zawislak, born in 1900 and died in 1956, who gained recognition as a pioneering figure in women's rights within Poland. Her activism and writings provided a foundation for later movements in the mid-20th century. Józef Zawislak, born in 1915 and who became a figure in Polish politics during the post-World War II period, further adds to the historical prominence of the surname.

While variations in spelling such as Zawisly or Zawislakowski can be found in older documents, the core name has persisted predominantly in its original form. The name is an enduring symbol of the rich cultural and historical tapestry of Poland and its diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zawislak

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

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 Zawislak was:

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

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

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

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