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

Hajdu, 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 Hajdu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hajdu in America

Hajdu is the 51830th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hajdu surname appeared 401 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 Hajdu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hajdu 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 Hajdu

The surname HAJDU is of Hungarian origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Hajdúság, located in modern-day eastern Hungary and northwestern Romania. The name is derived from the Old Hungarian word "hajdú," which referred to a class of professional soldiers in the 16th and 17th centuries.

These hajdú warriors were known for their bravery and military prowess, serving as mercenaries and personal guards for Hungarian nobility. They were often granted land and privileges for their service, leading to the establishment of several towns in the Hajdúság region. As a result, the surname HAJDU became closely associated with these settlements and their inhabitants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HAJDU can be found in the Liber Regius, a 14th-century Hungarian royal charter, where it appears as "Haidu." This document mentions individuals bearing the surname in connection with various land grants and military appointments.

In the 16th century, the HAJDU name gained prominence during the Ottoman-Hungarian wars. Notable figures from this period include János Hajdu (c. 1510-1578), a renowned military commander who led hajdú troops against the Ottoman forces, and Bálint Hajdu (c. 1545-1607), a skilled cavalry officer known for his daring exploits.

As the hajdú soldiers settled in the Hajdúság region, the surname became more widespread. In the 17th century, István Hajdu (1628-1701) was a prominent landowner and magistrate in the town of Hajdúböszörmény, which was founded by hajdú settlers.

During the 18th century, the HAJDU surname continued to be associated with military service. András Hajdu (1733-1795) was a distinguished cavalry officer who fought in the Seven Years' War and later served as a colonel in the Austrian Empire's army.

In more recent history, József Hajdu (1887-1962) was a notable Hungarian linguist and philologist who made significant contributions to the study of Finno-Ugric languages, including Hungarian.

While these examples illustrate the historical presence and significance of the HAJDU surname, it is important to note that the name has since spread beyond its original geographical boundaries and is now found among Hungarian diaspora communities worldwide.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hajdu

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

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

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

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