Explore the Family Name Brzezinski
The meaning of Brzezinski
Polish and Jewish (from Poland) (Brzeziński): habitational name for someone from any of various places called Brzezina, Brzeziniec, Brzezinka, Brzezie, or Brzeziny, all named with brzezina ‘birch forest’. Compare Brezinski. History: The American diplomat and political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski (1928–2017) was of Polish descent. His family came from Brzeżany in Galicia of then eastern Poland (now in Ukraine). Some characteristic forenames: Polish Andrzej, Zbigniew, Beata, Bogdan, Casimir, Darek, Halina, Henryk, Janusz, Jaroslaw, Jozef, Lech.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Brzezinski in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Brzezinski has seen a slight decrease in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 12,692nd in terms of prevalence, but by 2010, it fell to the 13,264th spot, marking a drop of 4.51%. Despite the decrease in rank, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased by 2.91%, from 2,235 people in 2000 to 2,300 in 2010. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decline of 6.02%, from 0.83 to 0.78 over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,692 | #13,264 | -4.51% |
| Count | 2,235 | 2,300 | 2.91% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.83 | 0.78 | -6.02% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Brzezinski
The ethnic identity associated with the Brzezinski surname has seen some changes as well, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data. While the majority identifying as White decreased slightly from 97.09% in 2000 to 96.04% in 2010, there were increases within other ethnic identities. Those identifying as of two or more races saw an impressive increase of 87.65%, from 0.81% to 1.52%. The Hispanic identity also saw a rise of 21.60%, from 1.25% to 1.52%. Notably, the Asian/Pacific Islander group showed a new presence in 2010 that wasn't recorded in 2000. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native dropped to zero in 2010 from 0.45% in 2000, and there were no Black individuals identified with this surname in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.09% | 96.04% | -1.08% |
| Two or More Races | 0.81% | 1.52% | 87.65% |
| Hispanic | 1.25% | 1.52% | 21.6% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.65% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.45% | 0% | 0% |