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

Jenko, 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 Jenko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jenko in America

Jenko is the 100791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jenko surname appeared 179 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 Jenko.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jenko 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 Jenko

The surname Jenko has its origins in central Europe, specifically in the region that is now modern-day Slovenia. The name can be traced back to the late 15th century, when it first appeared in official records as a variant of the more common Slovene surname Jenko?.

The name is believed to have derived from the Slavic root word "jenk," which means "hardy" or "strong." This suggests that the surname may have originally been applied as a descriptive nickname for a physically robust individual or perhaps a member of a particularly stalwart family line.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Jenko surname dates back to 1487, when a certain Andrej Jenko was listed as a landowner in the village of Ribnica, which lies in the Slovenian region of Lower Carniola. This area was historically part of the Holy Roman Empire, and many surnames from this period originated as a way to establish identities for tax and census purposes.

By the 16th century, variations of the name had begun to appear in neighboring regions, including present-day Croatia and Austria. In a 1521 census record from the town of Graz, Austria, a family headed by a man named Jakob Jenkho is documented as residing within the city walls.

One of the earliest notable individuals to bear the Jenko surname was Janez Jenko, a Slovenian painter and engraver who lived from 1628 to 1700. His most famous work is a series of engravings depicting the life of Saint Nicholas, which can still be viewed in the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation in Ljubljana.

Another historically significant figure was Andrej Jenko, a 19th-century Slovenian composer and choral director who was instrumental in preserving and promoting Slovenian folk music traditions. Born in 1837, he founded one of the country's first choral societies and composed numerous patriotic works that helped shape a sense of national identity during a period of foreign rule.

In the realm of literature, the Slovenian poet and playwright Franc Jenko (1856-1911) is remembered for his contributions to the Slovenian Romantic movement and his efforts to establish a distinct Slovenian literary voice separate from the influences of neighboring cultures.

Crossing into the 20th century, one cannot overlook the legacy of Franc Jenko (1916-1943), a Slovenian partisan and hero of the resistance movement against Nazi occupation during World War II. He was executed by German forces in 1943 but remains a revered figure in Slovenian history.

While the name Jenko is most heavily concentrated in Slovenia and the surrounding regions, it has also found its way into other parts of the world through emigration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be firmly traced back to the hardy stock of central European ancestry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jenko

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

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

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

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