Kulyk last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kulyk

A surname derived from the Slavic word meaning "calf" or "little leg".

Kulyk, 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 Kulyk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kulyk in America

Kulyk is the 80131st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kulyk surname appeared 237 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 Kulyk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kulyk 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 80131 93427 -15.32%
Count 237 182 26.25%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.07 13.33%

The history of the last name Kulyk

The surname KULYK originated in Ukraine, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Ukrainian word "kulyk," which means "curlew," a type of wading bird. This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who resembled or had characteristics associated with the curlew bird.

The KULYK surname can be traced back to various regions of Ukraine, particularly in the western and central parts of the country. Some of the earliest records of the name can be found in historical documents, such as parish registers and census records from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One notable historical reference involving the KULYK surname is its appearance in the Cossack Registers of the Zaporizhian Host, a military and self-governing community of Cossacks in Ukraine during the 16th to 18th centuries. Several individuals with the KULYK surname were listed as members of this influential Cossack group.

The earliest recorded bearer of the KULYK surname is believed to be Ivan KULYK, born around 1550 in the village of Zolochiv, located in the Lviv region of western Ukraine. Another early documented individual with this surname was Hryhoriy KULYK, born in the late 16th century in the town of Khmilnyk, located in the Vinnytsia region of central Ukraine.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who carried the KULYK surname. One of the most prominent was Mykhailo KULYK (1847-1903), a Ukrainian writer, journalist, and cultural activist who played a significant role in promoting Ukrainian literature and language during the late 19th century.

Another individual of note was Yevhen KULYK (1896-1958), a Ukrainian painter and graphic artist known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life in Ukraine. His works are part of the collections of several museums in Ukraine and Russia.

In the field of music, Mykola KULYK (1929-1994) was a renowned Ukrainian composer and conductor who made significant contributions to Ukrainian choral music. His compositions were widely performed by choirs and orchestras across Ukraine and beyond.

The KULYK surname can also be found in various place names and older spellings of place names in Ukraine. For example, the village of Kulyky in the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine likely derived its name from the presence of individuals with the KULYK surname in the area.

Overall, the surname KULYK has a rich history deeply rooted in Ukraine, with its origin dating back to the 16th century and its association with the curlew bird. The name has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, including literature, art, and music, leaving a lasting impact on Ukrainian culture and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kulyk

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

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 Kulyk was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 98.31% 233
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Kulyk has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 98.31% 95.60% 2.80%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Kulyk last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 4, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kulyk-surname-popularity/.

"Kulyk last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kulyk-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 June, 2025

Kulyk last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/kulyk-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.