2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zwolski
A Polish locational surname derived from the place name Zwola.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Zwolski. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zwolski 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Zwolski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwolski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zwolski
The surname Zwolski originates from Poland, a country with rich historical and cultural traditions. It emerged during the medieval period, likely between the 14th and 15th centuries. The name is derived from a geographical location, specifically from the town of Żółkiew (known today as Żółkie) and its surrounding areas. The name is a toponymic surname, indicating that the original family hailed from this area, known historically for its strategic and economic significance.
The root of the name can be traced to the Polish word 'Żółkiew,' which means 'yellow,' likely referring to the yellow-colored fields or other natural features of the region. Over time, as people moved and settled in various parts of the country, the surname evolved to Zwolski, incorporating regional phonetic variations and linguistic influences. There are similar spellings in historical records, such as Zvolsky or Żwolski, indicating the fluidity of name spellings in earlier times.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname appears in the late 16th century. A notable instance is found in the Radziwiłł Chronicle of 1590, which mentions a nobleman named Jan Zwolski, serving in the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth army. His contributions to several military campaigns against the Ottoman Empire are well-documented, offering a glimpse into the prominence and social standing of individuals bearing this surname.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Zwolski appears in various legal and ecclesiastical documents. For instance, Andrzej Zwolski, born in 1624 and deceased in 1698, was a well-known landowner and local magistrate in the Podlasie region. His involvement in community affairs and numerous charitable endeavors left a lasting impact on the region. Church records from the 18th century also mention Katarzyna Zwolska, a prominent patron of the St. Stanislaus Church in Warsaw, who played a significant role in funding the church's reconstruction after it suffered damage during regional conflicts.
In the 19th century, the surname continued to be prominent, especially in the realms of academia and governance. One notable figure was Stanisław Zwolski, born in 1812 and deceased in 1887, a renowned linguist and professor at the University of Kraków. His contributions to the study of Slavic languages were highly regarded, earning him recognition across Europe. Similarly, Władysław Zwolski, born in 1833 and deceased in 1910, served as a high-ranking official in the Russian-controlled Congress Poland, playing a vital role in educational reforms.
The surname Zwolski also appears in artistic circles, with Janina Zwolska, born in 1860 and deceased in 1925, being a celebrated painter known for her landscape works that captured the essence of rural Poland. Her paintings were exhibited in various European galleries, contributing to the cultural heritage of the surname.
Throughout history, the surname Zwolski has been associated with individuals who made significant contributions to their respective fields, be it military, governance, academia, or the arts. The name has evolved but retains its connection to its geographical and cultural roots in Poland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zwolski
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwolski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zwolski 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 Zwolski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zwolski
Zwolski 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-14 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,328 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-14 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,074 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 20,328 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 12,074 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 Zwolski 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 | #142,108 | #154,182 | -8.5% |
| Count | 117 | 103 | -12.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zwolski bearers went from 117 to 103 (-12.0% change). The surname moved down 12,074 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #154,182.
FAQ
Zwolski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zwolski?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Zwolski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Zwolski?
Zwolski ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Zwolski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Zwolski.
Has Zwolski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zwolski went from 117 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 14 (-12.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Zwolski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zwolski, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Zwolski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zwolski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Zwolski (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 Zwolski mean?
A Polish locational surname derived from the place name Zwola. 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 Zwolski (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 last name Zwolski?
You can see how common the surname Zwolski is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.