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

Kruk, 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 Kruk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kruk in America

Kruk is the 16630th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kruk surname appeared 1,724 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 Kruk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kruk 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 Kruk

The surname Kruk has its origins in Poland, tracing back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Polish word "kruk," which means "raven" or "crow." This suggests that the name might have been initially given as a nickname to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion, resembling the plumage of these birds.

The earliest recorded instances of the Kruk surname can be found in medieval Polish documents and records, such as land registers and municipal chronicles. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Jan Kruk, a landowner in the village of Krakow, mentioned in a deed from 1387.

In the 16th century, the Kruk surname appeared in the Metryka Koronna, a collection of official records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This included entries for notable individuals like Mikołaj Kruk, a prominent merchant in Poznań, who lived from around 1520 to 1585.

The Kruk name has also been associated with several place names in Poland, such as the village of Krukówka in the Małopolska region, which was likely named after an early settler with the Kruk surname.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Kruk surname. One such figure was Jakub Kruk, a Polish writer and poet who lived from 1637 to 1699. His works, including religious poetry and satires, were widely published during his lifetime.

Another noteworthy bearer of the Kruk name was Franciszek Kruk, a Polish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1775 and served with distinction in several campaigns, earning the prestigious Virtuti Militari, Poland's highest military decoration.

In the 19th century, Józef Kruk (1819-1888) was a prominent Polish industrialist and entrepreneur. He founded one of the first modern textile factories in the city of Łódź, which played a significant role in the industrial development of the region.

The Kruk surname has also been associated with the Polish-American community. One notable figure was Aleksander Kruk (1876-1951), a Polish-born American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the St. Stanislaus Society in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, an organization dedicated to assisting Polish immigrants.

Lastly, Józef Kruk (1911-1992) was a distinguished Polish sculptor and artist known for his monumental public works and religious sculptures. His works can be found in various churches and public spaces throughout Poland, reflecting the country's rich artistic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kruk

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

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

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

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