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

Luken, 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 Luken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Luken in America

Luken is the 17951st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Luken surname appeared 1,557 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 Luken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Luken 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 Luken

The surname Luken originates from the Netherlands, with its roots dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Dutch word "loken," which means "enclosed area" or "clearing in a forest." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked in a protected or fenced-off area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Luken can be found in the Dutch baptismal records from the city of Utrecht in the year 1638, where a child was christened with the name Gerrit Luken. The name also appears in various Dutch archives and records from the 17th and 18th centuries, including land registers and tax rolls.

In the 19th century, the name Luken gained prominence with the birth of Willem Luken (1808-1873), a renowned Dutch painter known for his landscapes and cityscapes. His works are displayed in various museums across the Netherlands and are highly regarded for their attention to detail and vivid depictions of Dutch life.

Another notable figure with the surname Luken was Johannes Luken (1865-1932), a Dutch architect who was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Rotterdam, including the Groothandelsgebouw and the Beurs-World Trade Center.

Moving into the 20th century, the name Luken was also associated with Adriaan Luken (1901-1978), a Dutch politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1946 to 1967. He was a prominent figure in the Dutch Labour Party and played a crucial role in shaping the country's post-war policies.

Across the Atlantic, the name Luken found its way to the United States, where one of the earliest recorded instances was Jacob Luken (1789-1865), a farmer from Pennsylvania who served in the War of 1812. His descendants continued to carry the name throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, with some notable individuals including William Luken (1914-2002), a World War II veteran and successful businessman from Ohio.

While the surname Luken may not be as widespread as some other Dutch surnames, it has left an indelible mark on various aspects of Dutch history and culture, from art and architecture to politics and military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Luken

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

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

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

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