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

Burlak, 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 Burlak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burlak in America

Burlak is the 137327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burlak surname appeared 122 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 Burlak.

The history of the last name Burlak

The surname BURLAK is of Russian origin, originating in the medieval period around the 14th or 15th century. It is derived from the Russian word "burlak", which referred to a river boatman or a manual laborer who hauled boats along waterways or portages. The name likely originated in regions along major Russian river systems, such as the Volga, where these workers were employed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BURLAK surname can be found in the Veliky Novgorod census records of the late 15th century, where several individuals with variations of the name, such as Burlakin and Burlakovich, are listed. This suggests that the occupation of "burlak" was established and associated with certain families by this time.

In the 16th century, a variant spelling "Burlokov" appears in the tax records of the Muscovite principality, indicating the name's spread across various regions of Russia. During this period, the BURLAK surname was predominantly held by individuals involved in river transportation and related trades.

A notable historical figure bearing the BURLAK surname was Ivan Burlakov (1649-1712), a Russian merchant and industrialist who established several iron foundries and factories in the Urals region. He played a significant role in the development of Russia's metallurgical industry during the reign of Peter the Great.

Another prominent individual was Nikolai Burlak (1785-1839), a Russian painter and art educator who taught at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. His works, which focused on portraiture and historical scenes, are housed in various museums across Russia.

In the 19th century, the BURLAK surname gained literary significance through the poem "The Song of the Volga Boatmen" by Nikolai Nekrasov (1821-1877). The poem romanticized the hardships and struggles of the burlaki, or river boatmen, and became a celebrated work in Russian literature.

Feodor Burlak (1858-1920) was a Russian revolutionary and Bolshevik who participated in the October Revolution of 1917. He served as a member of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and played an active role in the early years of the Soviet government.

Vasily Burlakov (1886-1966) was a Soviet military commander who fought in World War I and later served in the Red Army during the Russian Civil War. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his leadership and bravery in various military campaigns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burlak

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

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 Burlak 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.

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

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

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