Guralnik last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Guralnik

A surname of Eastern European and Jewish origin meaning someone from the place called Guralnya.

Guralnik, 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 Guralnik surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Guralnik in America

Guralnik is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Guralnik surname appeared 117 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 Guralnik.

We can also compare 2010 data for Guralnik 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank142108143847-1.22%
Count1171069.87%
Proportion per 100k0.040.040.00%

The history of the last name Guralnik

The surname GURALNIK is of Polish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the Polish word "gural," which refers to a person from the Tatra Mountains or a highlander. The name likely evolved from an occupational or descriptive surname given to individuals who hailed from these mountainous regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GURALNIK surname can be found in the historical records of Krakow, Poland, where a certain Jakub Guralnik was mentioned in a document dated 1457. It is speculated that this individual may have been a resident of the nearby Tatra Mountains or a migrant from that area who settled in the city.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the GURALNIK name appeared in various Polish municipal records, particularly in the regions of Lesser Poland and Silesia. Some notable individuals from this period include Marcin Guralnik (1582-1654), a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Bielsko, and Katarzyna Guralnik (1603-1672), a respected herbalist and healer in the village of Rabka.

In the 18th century, the GURALNIK surname gained recognition through the works of Jan Guralnik (1724-1788), a renowned poet and playwright who was celebrated for his contributions to Polish literature. His plays and poems often depicted the lives and traditions of the Tatra Mountain people, reflecting his deep connection to his ancestral roots.

As the 19th century unfolded, the GURALNIK name spread beyond Poland's borders, with some members of the family migrating to other parts of Europe and even to the United States. One such individual was Stefan Guralnik (1859-1932), a respected educator and author who settled in Chicago and wrote extensively about the experiences of Polish immigrants in America.

Throughout the centuries, the GURALNIK surname has been associated with various professions and achievements. Notable figures include Zofia Guralnik (1891-1976), a pioneering Polish physicist and one of the first female professors at the University of Warsaw, and Jakub Guralnik (1920-2007), a renowned American theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to the field of particle physics.

While the GURALNIK surname may have originated from humble beginnings in the Tatra Mountains, it has left an indelible mark on history, spanning various fields and countries. Its rich heritage and enduring legacy continue to be a source of pride for those who bear this distinctive name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Guralnik

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

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 Guralnik was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only95.73%112
Non-Hispanic Black Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races0.00%0
Hispanic Origin4.27%5

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 Guralnik has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White95.73%97.17%-1.49%
Black0.00%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander0.00%0.00%0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0.00%0.00%
Two or More Races0.00%0.00%0.00%
Hispanic4.27%(S)%(S)%

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

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

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