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

Nak, 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 Nak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nak in America

Nak is the 115034th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nak surname appeared 152 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 Nak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nak 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 Nak

The surname NAK has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in the region that is now modern-day Poland. It is believed to have emerged around the 13th century, derived from the Slavic root word "nak," which means "back" or "behind." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who lived or worked behind a particular location or landmark.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NAK can be found in the historical records of the city of Krakow, where a man named Jan NAK was listed as a merchant in the year 1274. Another early reference comes from a 14th-century manuscript detailing the inhabitants of the village of Wisla, which mentions a family with the surname NAK.

As the name spread throughout Poland and neighboring regions, it evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Nak, Nack, and Nacke. Some of these variations can be traced to specific geographic areas, like the Nacke spelling, which was more common in the Silesian region.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals bore the surname NAK. One of the earliest was Maciej NAK, a Polish military commander who served under King Casimir IV in the 15th century. Another was Stanislaw NAK, a 16th-century scholar and writer who authored several works on Polish history and literature.

In the 17th century, Jan NAK was a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Gdansk. Around the same time, Katarzyna NAK was a noted herbalist and healer, whose knowledge of medicinal plants was widely respected in her community.

Moving into the 18th century, Tomasz NAK was a prominent figure in the Polish resistance against the partitions of Poland by Russia, Prussia, and Austria. He played a key role in organizing and leading several uprisings against the occupying forces.

While the NAK surname has its roots in Poland, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its earliest and most significant historical connections can be traced back to its Eastern European origins and the individuals who carried this distinctive name throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nak

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

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

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

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