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

Kerek, 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 Kerek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kerek in America

Kerek is the 129047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kerek surname appeared 132 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 Kerek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kerek 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 Kerek

The surname KEREK has its origins in Hungary, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Hungarian word "kerek," which means "round" or "circular." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a circular structure, such as a fort or a village with a circular layout.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KEREK surname is found in a 1283 document from the town of Szeged, which mentions a man named Kerekus. This is likely a variant spelling of the name KEREK, as surname spellings were often inconsistent in medieval times.

In the 14th century, the KEREK name appeared in several land records and tax rolls in various parts of the Kingdom of Hungary. For example, a 1347 document from the village of Tákos lists a landowner named Petrus Kerek.

During the 16th century, the KEREK surname gained prominence in the region around the city of Eger, located in northern Hungary. One notable figure from this period was István Kerek (c. 1510-1570), a wealthy landowner and minor nobleman who played a role in the defense of Eger against the Ottoman Empire in 1552.

Another significant bearer of the KEREK name was György Kerek (1668-1744), a Hungarian Catholic priest and theologian who served as the Bishop of Veszprém in the early 18th century. He was known for his efforts to promote education and literacy in his diocese.

In the 19th century, the KEREK surname was also found in parts of what is now modern-day Slovakia and Romania, which were historically part of the Kingdom of Hungary. One example is János Kerek (1828-1897), a Hungarian-Slovak writer and journalist who played a role in the Slovak national revival movement.

While the KEREK surname is relatively uncommon outside of Hungary and its neighboring regions, it has been carried by several notable individuals over the centuries. These include the Hungarian-American cinematographer Sándor Kerek (1924-2018), who worked on films such as "Deliverance" and "The Way We Were."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kerek

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

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

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

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