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

Heleniak, 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 Heleniak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heleniak in America

Heleniak is the 109258th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heleniak surname appeared 162 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 Heleniak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heleniak 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 Heleniak

The surname HELENIAK is of Polish origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Polish town of Helenow, which was located in the Mazowieckie region of central Poland. The name is thought to derive from the Greek name "Helen," which means "bright" or "shining one."

In the early 16th century, Polish records show variations of the name HELENIAK, including HELENIOK and HELENIAK, among families residing in the Mazowieckie region. These early spellings likely evolved from the place name Helenow, where the families may have originated or held land.

One of the earliest documented references to the HELENIAK name can be found in the "Akta Metrykalne" (Metrical Records) of the Archdiocese of Warsaw, which date back to the late 16th century. In these records, a family with the surname HELENIAK is mentioned as residing in the village of Grodzisk Mazowiecki, located near the town of Helenow.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the HELENIAK name spread to other regions of Poland, with families bearing the surname found in areas such as Krakow, Lublin, and Poznan. Notable individuals from this period include Jan HELENIAK (1632-1701), a wealthy landowner and merchant from the town of Plock, and Anna HELENIAK (1674-1748), a renowned herbalist and midwife from the village of Korzeniów.

In the 19th century, the HELENIAK name gained prominence with the birth of Józef HELENIAK (1811-1890), a celebrated Polish painter and sculptor. His works can be found in various museums and galleries across Poland, including the National Museum in Warsaw.

Another notable figure was Stanisław HELENIAK (1837-1912), a Polish writer and journalist who played a significant role in the literary circles of Warsaw during the late 19th century. His writings and essays were widely published in various Polish journals and newspapers of the time.

As Polish immigrants began to settle in other parts of the world, the HELENIAK surname spread to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. One prominent example is Tomasz HELENIAK (1875-1958), a Polish-American engineer who contributed to the construction of several iconic bridges and infrastructure projects in the United States during the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heleniak

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

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

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

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