2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kolenko
An occupational surname referring to a wheelmaker or cartwright.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Kolenko. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kolenko surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Kolenko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolenko, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kolenko
The surname KOLENKO is of Ukrainian origin, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Ukrainian word "kolen", meaning "knee", and the diminutive suffix "-ko". This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a distinctive physical feature related to their knees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KOLENKO can be found in the Cossack registers of the Zaporizhian Sich, a semi-autonomous Cossack territory that existed in present-day Ukraine from the 16th to the 18th century. These registers were important historical documents that recorded the names and details of Cossacks, who were known for their military prowess and played a significant role in the region's history.
The name KOLENKO appears to have been particularly prevalent in the Poltava region of central Ukraine, where it is thought to have originated. This region was known for its rich agricultural lands and was an important center of Ukrainian culture and traditions.
One notable historical figure with the surname KOLENKO was Pavlo Kolenko (1655-1723), a Ukrainian Cossack leader and military commander who played a crucial role in the Battle of Poltava against the Swedish forces led by King Charles XII. His bravery and strategic leadership during this pivotal battle earned him widespread recognition and respect among his peers.
Another individual of note was Hryhoriy Kolenko (1772-1847), a Ukrainian philosopher and educator who made significant contributions to the development of Ukrainian educational institutions and the promotion of Ukrainian language and culture. He was a prominent figure in the Ukrainian cultural renaissance of the early 19th century.
In the 20th century, Oleksandr Kolenko (1905-1979) was a renowned Ukrainian painter and artist who was known for his vivid depictions of Ukrainian rural life and landscapes. His works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums around the world, and he is considered one of the most influential Ukrainian artists of his time.
Kateryna Kolenko (1919-1997) was a celebrated Ukrainian writer and poet who wrote extensively about the struggles and resilience of the Ukrainian people during the turbulent times of the Soviet era. Her powerful works brought attention to the plight of Ukrainians and helped preserve their cultural identity.
Lastly, Yuriy Kolenko (1945-2018) was a prominent Ukrainian politician and diplomat who served as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in the early 1990s. He played a crucial role in establishing Ukraine's diplomatic relations with other countries after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kolenko
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolenko, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kolenko bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kolenko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kolenko
Kolenko appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+14 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,515 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-19 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,451 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 4,515 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 16,451 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kolenko surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #138,304 | #154,755 | -11.9% |
| Count | 121 | 102 | -15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kolenko bearers went from 121 to 102 (-15.7% change). The surname moved down 16,451 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #154,755.
FAQ
Kolenko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kolenko?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Kolenko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Kolenko?
Kolenko ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Kolenko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kolenko.
Has Kolenko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kolenko went from 121 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Kolenko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolenko, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kolenko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kolenko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (5.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kolenko (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kolenko mean?
An occupational surname referring to a wheelmaker or cartwright. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kolenko (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Kolenko?
Want to know how common the surname Kolenko is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.