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

Konopka, 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 Konopka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Konopka in America

Konopka is the 12644th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Konopka surname appeared 2,447 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Konopka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Konopka 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 Konopka

The surname Konopka originated in Poland, with its roots tracing back to the 14th century. Derived from the Polish word "konopie," meaning "hemp," the name likely referred to an occupation or trade involving the cultivation or processing of hemp. This crop played a crucial role in the production of textiles, ropes, and other materials in medieval times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Konopka can be found in the Księga Henrykowska, a 14th-century manuscript from Silesia, which mentions a "Konopka de villa Konopatki" (Konopka from the village of Konopatki). This village name itself is a variation of the same root, suggesting a connection to the hemp industry in the region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth expanded, the Konopka surname spread across various territories. Historical records from this period, such as land registry documents and parish records, reveal individuals bearing this name in areas like Krakow, Lublin, and Lviv (now in Ukraine).

In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname Konopka was Jan Konopka (1677-1758), a prominent Roman Catholic priest and theologian from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He served as a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and authored several works on theology and philosophy.

Another historical figure of note was Feliks Konopka (1888-1982), a Polish engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing the first successful coal dust extraction system, which significantly improved safety conditions in coal mines. His innovations were widely adopted throughout the mining industry in the early 20th century.

The name Konopka also appeared in various place names across Eastern Europe, such as the village of Konopki in Belarus and the town of Konopkivka in Ukraine. These toponyms likely originated from individuals or families with the surname Konopka who settled in or founded these locations.

Other notable individuals with the surname Konopka throughout history include Stanisław Konopka (1896-1942), a Polish military officer and resistance fighter during World War II; Maria Konopka (1910-1990), a Polish-American social worker and educator; and Gérard Konopka (1915-1999), a French-American sociologist known for his work in community organization and social planning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Konopka

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

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

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

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