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

Jankowski, 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 Jankowski surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jankowski in America

Jankowski is the 3964th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jankowski surname appeared 8,970 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Jankowski.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jankowski 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 Jankowski

The surname Jankowski has its origins in Poland, with records indicating its existence as early as the 14th century. It is derived from the Polish name Jan, which is a form of the biblical name John, combined with the possessive suffix "-owski," indicating belonging or descent.

This surname was particularly prevalent in the central and eastern regions of Poland, including areas around Warsaw, Lublin, and Krakow. It is believed that the name may have originated from the practice of identifying individuals by their father's name or place of residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Jankowski surname can be found in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries, which mention several individuals bearing this name.

In the 17th century, a notable figure named Jan Jankowski (1628-1692) was a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in various conflicts against the Swedish and Ottoman forces. He is remembered for his bravery and leadership during the Polish-Ottoman War.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Józef Jankowski (1795-1865), a Polish writer, poet, and translator who made significant contributions to Polish literature during the Romantic period.

During the 19th century, the Jankowski name was also found in the historical records of the Russian Empire, particularly in the regions of present-day Belarus and Ukraine, which were once part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

One notable figure from this period was Michał Jankowski (1834-1912), a Polish-Russian engineer and inventor who was responsible for developing early models of the modern-day submarine.

In the 20th century, the Jankowski surname gained international recognition through the accomplishments of individuals such as Henryk Jankowski (1936-2010), a Polish-American artist and sculptor known for his monumental public works, and Józef Jankowski (1910-1995), a Polish writer and journalist who documented the struggles of the Polish people during World War II.

While the Jankowski surname has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora, with individuals bearing this name making notable contributions across various fields and disciplines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jankowski

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

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

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

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