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

Hajduk, 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 Hajduk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hajduk in America

Hajduk is the 26975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hajduk surname appeared 899 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 Hajduk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hajduk 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 Hajduk

The surname HAJDUK is of Croatian origin, derived from the Turkish word 'haydut' meaning 'brigand' or 'highway robber'. It first emerged in the 16th century during the Ottoman rule in the Balkans, referring to the Croatian freedom fighters who resisted the Ottoman occupation by engaging in guerrilla warfare tactics.

The term 'hajduk' was initially used to describe the members of these irregular military units, who were revered as folk heroes for their bravery and defiance against the Ottoman oppressors. Over time, the word evolved into a surname, borne by the descendants of these freedom fighters.

One of the earliest known references to the name HAJDUK can be found in the writings of the renowned Croatian poet Ivan Gundulic (1589-1638), who celebrated the exploits of these warriors in his literary works. Another notable figure was Matija Gubec (c. 1548-1573), a leader of the Croatian peasant revolt against the Hungarian nobles, who was referred to as a 'hajduk' for his resistance efforts.

In the 18th century, the name HAJDUK gained further prominence with the rise of Petar Mrkonjic (c. 1640-1703), a legendary hajduk captain who led his band of fighters against the Ottomans and Venetians. His exploits were immortalized in numerous folk songs and tales, further solidifying the name's association with Croatian national identity and freedom struggle.

Other notable historical figures bearing the surname HAJDUK include Stojan Jankovic (1636-1687), a celebrated hajduk leader who fought against the Ottomans in Herzegovina, and Starina Novak (c. 1530-1601), a renowned hajduk commander who led successful raids against the Ottoman forces in Dalmatia and Bosnia.

The name HAJDUK has also been associated with various geographical locations in Croatia and neighboring regions, such as the Hajducka Vrata mountain pass in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the town of Hajduk in Croatia, both named after the hajduk warriors who frequented these areas during their struggles against foreign occupation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hajduk

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

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

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

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