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

Lanko, 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 Lanko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lanko in America

Lanko is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lanko surname appeared 108 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 Lanko.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lanko 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 Lanko

The surname Lanko is of Eastern European origin, with roots tracing back to the regions of modern-day Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. It likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 14th centuries.

One possible derivation of Lanko is from the Slavic word "lank," which means "valley" or "lowland." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who resided in or near valleys or lowland areas. Alternatively, it could have originated from a nickname or personal characteristic, such as someone with a slender or lanky appearance.

In older records, the name often appeared with variations in spelling, such as Lankov, Lankow, or Lancko. These differences were common due to regional dialects and the inconsistent use of orthography in historical documents.

The earliest known mention of the surname Lanko can be found in a Polish cadastral (land registry) record from the late 15th century, where it was recorded as "Lankov." This suggests that the name had already been in use for several generations by that time.

One notable individual with the surname Lanko was Jan Lanko, a Polish military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish War of the mid-17th century. He played a crucial role in the defense of the city of Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine) against Swedish forces in 1655.

Another historical figure was Stanisław Lanko, a Polish philosopher and educator who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and authored several works on logic and philosophy.

In the 18th century, Andrzej Lanko was a prominent Polish landowner and businessman. He owned several estates in the Lublin region and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the construction of a hospital and a school for underprivileged children.

The name Lanko was also present in the territory of modern-day Belarus. One notable bearer was Mikałaj Lanko, a Belarusian peasant leader who participated in the uprisings against Russian imperial rule in the early 19th century.

In the 20th century, Vasyl Lanko was a prominent Ukrainian writer and poet. Born in 1908, his works often explored themes of national identity and the struggle for independence. He was persecuted by Soviet authorities for his nationalist views and spent several years in labor camps.

While the surname Lanko is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the cultural heritage of Eastern Europe, with its roots dating back to the medieval period and its bearers having left their mark on the history of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lanko

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

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

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

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