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

Janek, 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 Janek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Janek in America

Janek is the 44193rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Janek surname appeared 487 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 Janek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Janek 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 Janek

The surname Janek is of Polish origin, with its roots dating back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Old Polish personal name "Janek," which is a diminutive form of the name "Jan," the Polish equivalent of "John." This name was commonly used in medieval Poland and can be found in various historical records from that period.

One of the earliest documented instances of the surname Janek can be traced back to a record from the city of Krakow in 1412, where a certain "Janek Krawiec" (meaning "Janek the Tailor") was mentioned. This suggests that the surname may have initially been used as a descriptive name, indicating the person's occupation or profession.

The Janek surname was particularly prevalent in the southern and central regions of Poland, including the areas around Krakow, Wroclaw, and Łódź. It was also found in other parts of the country, though with lesser frequency.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname appeared in various legal documents, such as property deeds and court records. One notable example is the case of Tomasz Janek, a merchant from the town of Sandomierz, who was involved in a trade dispute in the year 1612.

In the 18th century, the Janek surname gained prominence with the birth of Jan Janek (1723-1789), a renowned Polish painter and portraitist. His works can be found in various museums and galleries throughout Poland, and he is considered one of the most influential artists of the Polish Baroque period.

Another notable figure bearing the Janek surname was Józef Janek (1838-1912), a Polish writer and journalist who was active during the late 19th century. He was known for his contributions to various literary magazines and his efforts in promoting Polish culture and language.

In more recent times, the name Janek has been associated with Jerzy Janek (1924-2008), a Polish actor and theater director who had a prolific career spanning over six decades. He was widely acclaimed for his performances in numerous theater productions and films.

Additionally, the Janek surname has been linked to several place names in Poland, such as the village of Jankowa in the Małopolska region and the town of Jankowice in the Silesian Voivodeship. These place names may have been derived from the surname itself or vice versa, indicating the widespread use of the name in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Janek

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

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

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

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