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

Dudek, 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 Dudek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dudek in America

Dudek is the 6197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dudek surname appeared 5,519 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Dudek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dudek 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 Dudek

The surname Dudek is of Polish origin, deriving from the Polish word "dudek," which means "hoopoe," a type of bird. The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages and is thought to have originated as a nickname for someone who bore a resemblance to the hoopoe or had an association with this bird.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dudek can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Poloniae," a collection of Polish historical documents from the 12th century. In this record, a person named "Dudek de Cracovia" (Dudek from Krakow) was mentioned, suggesting the name's presence in the region of Krakow during that time period.

Over the centuries, the name Dudek has been documented in various Polish records and manuscripts. It is believed to have been particularly prevalent in the regions of Krakow, Poznan, and Silesia, which were historically part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Dudek throughout history is Jan Dudek (1551-1629), a Polish Catholic priest and theologian who served as a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Another prominent figure was Aleksander Dudek (1854-1932), a Polish painter and artist who was renowned for his landscapes and portraiture.

In the 19th century, a Polish-American family named Dudek settled in the city of Chicago, Illinois, where they established a successful business in the construction industry. One of their descendants, Stanley Dudek (1918-2007), became a notable architect and urban planner, responsible for several iconic buildings in the Chicago area.

Another individual of note is Jerzy Dudek (born 1973), a former Polish professional football player who played as a goalkeeper for several clubs, including Liverpool F.C. in the English Premier League. He was part of the Liverpool team that won the UEFA Champions League in 2005.

While the surname Dudek has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other countries due to migration and immigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in Polish culture and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dudek

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

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

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

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