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

Cenko, 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 Cenko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cenko in America

Cenko is the 158432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cenko surname appeared 102 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 Cenko.

The history of the last name Cenko

The surname Cenko originated in the Slavic region of Eastern Europe, particularly in the area that is now modern-day Croatia. It is believed to have emerged during the early medieval period, around the 8th or 9th century AD.

The name Cenko is thought to be derived from the Slavic root word "cen," which means "value" or "worth." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone of high social standing or someone who was highly respected within their community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cenko can be found in a document from the Dubrovnik archives, dated around 1320 AD. This document mentions a certain Cenko Milosevic, who was a merchant and landowner in the region.

Another notable figure in history bearing the surname Cenko was Ivan Cenko, a Croatian military commander who fought against the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. He was born in 1520 and died in 1583, and his exploits were documented in various chronicles of the time.

In the 17th century, the name Cenko appeared in several records from the town of Cakovec, which was then part of the Habsburg Monarchy. One such record mentions a Marko Cenko, a farmer and vintner who lived between 1612 and 1679.

Jumping ahead to the 19th century, there was a renowned Croatian writer and poet named Jakov Cenko, who was born in 1824 and died in 1899. He was known for his romantic poetry and his contributions to the Croatian literary renaissance.

Another notable figure was Petar Cenko, a Croatian politician and lawyer who lived from 1842 to 1921. He served as a member of the Croatian Parliament and was actively involved in the struggle for Croatian autonomy within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

While the surname Cenko is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of the Slavic nations, particularly Croatia, where it has its roots. The name's enduring presence serves as a reminder of the region's storied past and the contributions of those who bore it throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cenko

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!