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

Karalekas, 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 Karalekas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Karalekas in America

Karalekas is the 126018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Karalekas surname appeared 136 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 Karalekas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Karalekas 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 Karalekas

The surname KARALEKAS is of Greek origin, tracing its roots back to the Byzantine era. It is believed to have originated from the Greek word "karalos," meaning "black" or "dark-haired." This suggests that the name may have originally been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with dark features.

In the early years of the Byzantine Empire, surnames were not commonly used, and individuals were often identified by their given names, patronymics, or nicknames. The surname KARALEKAS likely emerged as a distinguishing identifier during this period, possibly in the regions of Anatolia or the Greek mainland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KARALEKAS appears in a manuscript from the 14th century, which mentions a certain "Georgios Karalekas" as a merchant and landowner in the city of Thessaloniki. This document provides valuable insight into the antiquity of the surname and its association with the Greek-speaking population of the Byzantine Empire.

During the Ottoman conquest of Greece in the 15th century, many Greeks fled to other parts of Europe, taking their surnames with them. This diaspora likely contributed to the spread and variation of the name KARALEKAS across different regions.

In the 16th century, historical records from the island of Crete mention a family by the name of KARALEKAS who were involved in the local olive oil trade. This suggests that the name had established a presence in the Greek islands by this time.

One notable bearer of the surname KARALEKAS was Ioannis Karalekas (1839-1912), a Greek historian and author who wrote extensively about the Ottoman Empire's occupation of Greece. His works provide valuable insights into the cultural and political dynamics of that era.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Konstantinos Karalekas (1870-1942), a Greek politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece in the early 20th century.

In the 19th century, the KARALEKAS name can be found in various records from the Greek mainland, including birth and marriage registers from the regions of Peloponnese and Attica.

Throughout its history, the surname KARALEKAS has maintained a strong association with its Greek roots, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Greek people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Karalekas

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

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

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

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