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

Kotek, 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 Kotek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kotek in America

Kotek is the 45653rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kotek surname appeared 468 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 Kotek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kotek 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 Kotek

The surname KOTEK is of Polish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 14th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Polish word "kot," meaning "cat," with the diminutive suffix "-ek" added to it, forming the name "little cat."

The name's association with cats likely stems from its earliest bearers' occupation or connection to these felines. It may have been given as a nickname to someone who exhibited cat-like traits or worked with cats in some capacity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KOTEK name can be found in the Tczew Parish Records, dating back to 1589. These records mention a certain Maciej Kotek, who resided in the town of Tczew, located in the Pomeranian region of Poland.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various Polish documents, including the Kościelna Village Records, which mention a Walenty Kotek in 1632. Additionally, the Sandomierz Court Records from 1670 reference a Jan Kotek, a resident of the town of Sandomierz.

The KOTEK surname has also been associated with several notable historical figures. One such figure is Józef Kotek (1805-1885), a Polish artist renowned for his landscape paintings and etchings, who hailed from the village of Plawna in the Podkarpackie region.

Another prominent individual bearing the KOTEK name was Franciszek Kotek (1833-1912), a Polish Catholic priest and author. He served as a parish priest in various towns across Poland and wrote several religious works during his lifetime.

In the 20th century, Stanisław Kotek (1920-1998) was a distinguished Polish engineer and academic. He made significant contributions to the field of mining engineering and held prestigious positions at various universities, including the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow.

It is worth noting that the KOTEK surname has also been found in other Slavic countries, such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, potentially indicating its spread beyond Poland's borders over the centuries.

While the KOTEK name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation across different regions, its connection to the humble cat remains a fascinating aspect of its etymology and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kotek

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

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

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

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