The Engelbrecht surname in Poland and worldwide
The Engelbrecht surname occurs in Europe, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, with an uneven geographic distribution. Forebears estimates about 65,000 bearers in its dataset labelled 2014, placing the largest number in South Africa and the highest population-relative frequency in Namibia. Poland’s IJP PAN surname dictionary records 186 people — 93 women and 93 men — using 2014 PESEL data. The largest Polish concentration is in Pomeranian Voivodeship. These are historical figures, not a current population census. Differences between databases reflect their coverage and methods; they should not be interpreted as demographic change over time or as evidence of relationships between families.
Poland: 186 people in 2014 PESEL data
ISNP records 93 women and 93 men. Its regional figures are Pomeranian 133, Masovian 27, Kuyavian-Pomeranian 14, West Pomeranian 6, Greater Poland 4, and one each in Lower Silesian and Warmian-Masurian voivodeships. Wejherowo county accounts for 95.
Distribution can suggest areas for further research, but it is not a map of one family. The year 2014 comes from the dictionary’s methodology; the editorial date of this page does not make the figures current.
Worldwide: the largest concentrations
| Country / area | Estimated bearers, 2014 |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 47,953 |
| Germany | 7,300 |
| United States | 3,084 |
| Namibia | 2,757 |
| Denmark | 626 |
| Australia | 468 |
| Austria | 401 |
| England | 377 |
| New Zealand | 268 |
| Poland | 236 |
| Netherlands | 205 |
| Canada | 179 |
Source: Forebears, 2014 layer. Estimates, not registry totals for 2026. England does not mean the whole United Kingdom.
Why do Polish totals differ: 186 and 236?
The figure 186 comes from ISNP’s Polish PESEL-based dataset; 236 comes from the international Forebears compilation. They are not successive measurements of the same population under an identical method.
Forebears combines sources with different characteristics and reference periods. Its table offers an approximate picture of scale and geography. The difference does not establish growth, emigration or an error by a particular registry.
IJP PAN — metodologia ISNP · Forebears — methodology · Forebears — Engelbrecht, 2014
Numbers, frequency and family relationships
Incidence is a count of bearers; frequency relates that count to an area’s population. South Africa can therefore have the largest number while Namibia has the highest relative frequency. Neither measure establishes kinship.
We do not publish an unverified Polish total for 2026. Measuring change requires comparable definitions, coverage and reference dates.
Compiled by Engelbrecht Foundation · 11 October 2026. Sources accompany the relevant findings.