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

Kulak, 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 Kulak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kulak in America

Kulak is the 25187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kulak surname appeared 984 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 Kulak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kulak 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 Kulak

The surname Kulak is of Russian origin, derived from the Old Russian word "kulak" meaning "fist". The name dates back to the 15th century and was originally used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a large, powerful fist or a strong, forceful individual.

The earliest known recording of the Kulak surname can be found in the Veliky Novgorod Chronicles from the late 15th century, where it was used to refer to a prominent merchant or trader. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions around Moscow and Novgorod, and later spread to other parts of Russia as the population migrated.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the Kulak surname was Ivan Kulak, a wealthy merchant from Novgorod who lived in the early 16th century. He was known for his successful trading ventures and his involvement in local politics.

Another notable figure was Stepan Kulak, a military commander who served under Tsar Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century. He was renowned for his bravery and military tactics during the Livonian War.

In the 17th century, the Kulak surname was associated with the emergence of a class of wealthy peasants in Russia known as "kulaks". These prosperous farmers were often targeted by the Bolshevik regime during the Soviet era for their perceived resistance to collectivization efforts.

A prominent individual from this period was Pyotr Kulak, a wealthy landowner and farmer from the Voronezh region, who was executed during the Dekulakization campaign in the early 1930s.

In the 19th century, the Kulak surname appeared in various literary works, such as the novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, reflecting its presence in Russian society at the time.

One notable figure from this era was Mikhail Kulak, a renowned sculptor and artist born in 1833 in Moscow. His works were exhibited in major exhibitions and can be found in museums across Russia.

Throughout history, the Kulak surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, military leaders, landowners, and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kulak

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

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

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

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