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

Lelko, 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 Lelko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lelko in America

Lelko is the 137327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lelko surname appeared 122 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 Lelko.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lelko 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 Lelko

The surname Lelko originated in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, specifically in the area that is now modern-day Poland. The name is believed to have emerged sometime in the 13th or 14th century, derived from the Slavic root word "lel," which means "small" or "little." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptor for someone of small stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lelko can be found in a manuscript from the city of Krakow, dated around 1380. This document mentions a man named Jakub Lelko, who was a merchant and landowner in the region. Another early reference is found in the records of the town of Tarnów, where a Michał Lelko is listed as a member of the local guild of tailors in the late 15th century.

Throughout the following centuries, the Lelko name appears to have spread across various parts of Poland, as well as into neighboring areas such as Ukraine and Belarus. In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Jan Lelko, a Polish military commander who fought in the wars against the Ottomans and the Swedes.

By the 17th century, the name had also established a presence in other parts of Eastern Europe, including parts of Russia and the Baltic region. One notable individual from this era was Andrzej Lelko, a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman and landowner who lived from 1632 to 1701.

In the 19th century, the Lelko surname made its way to other parts of the world, likely due to emigration from Eastern Europe. One prominent example from this period is Józef Lelko, a Polish-American painter and artist who was born in 1838 and whose works can be found in several museums throughout the United States.

Another notable figure with the Lelko surname was Antoni Lelko, a Polish politician and activist who lived from 1875 to 1949 and played a significant role in the struggle for Polish independence and the establishment of the Second Polish Republic.

While the Lelko name has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to various other regions and countries around the world, carried by individuals and families who have emigrated from their ancestral homelands over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lelko

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

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

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

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