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

Chernyak, 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 Chernyak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chernyak in America

Chernyak is the 49365th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chernyak surname appeared 426 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 Chernyak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chernyak 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 Chernyak

The surname Chernyak has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in the regions of modern-day Ukraine and Russia. It is derived from the Slavic word "chern," which means "black," and the suffix "-yak," which is a common patronymic ending in Slavic languages.

The name Chernyak likely emerged during the Middle Ages, when surnames based on physical characteristics or occupations were common. It may have been initially given to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion, or perhaps to someone who worked with black materials, such as a blacksmith or a charcoal maker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Chernyak surname can be found in the Velvet Book, a historical document from the 15th century that recorded the names of nobles and landowners in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The name is also mentioned in various church records and census documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in the regions of Galicia and Volhynia, which were then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Chernyak throughout history are Konstantin Chernyak (1828-1894), a Russian painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes, and Yevhen Chernyak (1857-1924), a Ukrainian writer and journalist who played a significant role in the development of modern Ukrainian literature.

Another prominent figure was Nikolai Chernyak (1884-1939), a Soviet military commander who fought in the Russian Civil War and later held important positions in the Red Army. During World War II, Vasily Chernyak (1916-1993) was a Soviet fighter pilot and a Hero of the Soviet Union, recognized for his bravery and skill in aerial combat.

In the field of science, Nikolai Chernyak (1904-1980) was a prominent Soviet physicist who made significant contributions to the study of nuclear physics and particle accelerators. He played a key role in the development of the Soviet nuclear program during the Cold War era.

While the surname Chernyak is not among the most common in Eastern Europe, it has a long and rich history, with its origins dating back to the medieval period and its bearers leaving their mark in various fields, from the arts and literature to military service and scientific research.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chernyak

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

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

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

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