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

Banko, 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 Banko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Banko in America

Banko is the 25725th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Banko surname appeared 958 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 Banko.

We can also compare 2010 data for Banko 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 Banko

The surname Banko is of Polish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Silesia, which was once part of the ancient Kingdom of Poland. The name is derived from the Old Polish word "bank," meaning "bench" or "seat," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been associated with some form of seating or furniture-making trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Banko surname can be found in the Liber Beneficiorum, a historical document from the late 14th century that documented the distribution of church properties and benefices in the Krakow Diocese. This record mentions a certain "Petrus Banko" who held a position within the church administration during that time.

In the 16th century, the Banko name appeared in several municipal records from the city of Wrocław (formerly known as Breslau), which was a prominent commercial center in Silesia. These records indicate that several Banko families were engaged in various trades and professions, including tailoring, brewing, and metalworking.

A notable figure bearing the Banko surname was Jan Banko (1533-1597), a Polish nobleman and landowner who served as a courtier to King Sigismund III Vasa. Historical accounts describe him as a skilled diplomat and negotiator, playing a crucial role in resolving territorial disputes between Poland and neighboring states.

During the 17th century, the Banko name gained prominence in the region of Galicia, which was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One notable individual from this period was Marcin Banko (1632-1701), a renowned architect and engineer who designed several iconic buildings and fortifications in the cities of Lviv and Krakow.

Another significant figure was Katarzyna Banko (1720-1788), a pioneering educator and philanthropist from the city of Poznań. She established one of the first schools for girls in the region and advocated for improving access to education for underprivileged children.

As the centuries passed, the Banko surname continued to spread across various regions of Poland, with some variants emerging, such as Bankov and Bankow. While the name is predominantly associated with its Polish roots, it has also been adopted by individuals of other nationalities through migration and intermarriage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Banko

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

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

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

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