Explore the Family Name Kowalski
The meaning of Kowalski
1. Polish: habitational name for someone from Kowal in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Kowalskie in Greater Poland Voivodeship or one of the many places called Kowale. All these placenames are named with occupational name Kowal ‘blacksmith’. This surname, in both senses (see 2 below), is one of the most common surnames in Poland. It is also established in Germany. 2. Polish, Jewish (from Poland), and Sorbian: patronymic from Kowal ‘blacksmith’, with the addition of the suffix -ski. Compare Kovalski and Kowalske. Some characteristic forenames: Polish Casimir, Andrzej, Zbigniew, Halina, Henryk, Jacek, Lech, Zygmunt, Bogdan, Janusz, Jerzy, Kazimierz.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kowalski in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the Kowalski surname saw a minor dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Despite dropping from rank 1817 to 1999 in 10 years, indicating a decline of 10.02%, the actual count of individuals with the Kowalski surname fell by just a fraction, at -0.31%. This suggests that while other surnames may have increased in prevalence, the number of people named Kowalski remained relatively stable. The proportion of Kowalskis per 100,000 people also decreased slightly, from 6.72 to 6.13, marking an 8.78% change.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | #1,817 | #1,999 | -10.02% |
Count | 18,134 | 18,077 | -0.31% |
Proportion per 100k | 6.72 | 6.13 | -8.78% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kowalski
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some changes within the Kowalski family over the decade. While the majority of Kowalskis identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, there was a slight decrease in this group, from 96.90% to 96.05%. In contrast, the proportions of Kowalskis identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic saw significant growth, increasing by 45.16% and 44.53% respectively. Those claiming two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native identity also rose modestly by 11.65% and 10.00% respectively. The percentage of Kowalskis identifying as Black remained unchanged at 0.28%.
2000 | 2010 | Change | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 96.9% | 96.05% | -0.88% |
Hispanic | 1.28% | 1.85% | 44.53% |
Two or More Races | 1.03% | 1.15% | 11.65% |
Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.31% | 0.45% | 45.16% |
Black | 0.28% | 0.28% | 0% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.2% | 0.22% | 10% |
Kowalski ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Kowalski is Eastern European, which comprises 39.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (24.6%) and French & German (17.3%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Chinese.
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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
---|---|
Eastern European | 39.8% |
British & Irish | 24.6% |
French & German | 17.3% |
Other | 18.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Kowalski
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Kowalski have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Poland, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
---|---|
Masovian Voivodeship, Poland | 62.60% |
Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Poland | 61.80% |
Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland | 61.40% |
Greater London, United Kingdom | 57.70% |
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 57.70% |
What Kowalski haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Kowalski is R-CTS3402, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS3402 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-L1029 and R-Y2905, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Novak, Nowak, Urban, Szabo, Nagy, Schultz, Toth, Krause, Neumann, Kaminski.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kowalski surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Kowalski have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Traits
Habits
Wellness
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kowalski?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Kowalski are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition