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

Ontko, 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 Ontko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ontko in America

Ontko is the 52736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ontko surname appeared 393 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 Ontko.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ontko 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 Ontko

The surname Ontko has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, specifically in areas that are now part of Poland and Ukraine. The name likely emerged in the 15th or 16th century, derived from the Slavic root "ont" or "anto," which means "eagle" or "bird of prey."

Ontko is believed to have been an occupational surname initially, referring to individuals who were involved in falconry or the hunting of birds of prey. In medieval times, falconry was a popular sport among the nobility, and those skilled in training and handling falcons and hawks were held in high regard.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Ontko can be found in a Polish court document from the mid-16th century, which references a nobleman named Jan Ontko. This document suggests that the name had already gained some prominence in the region by that time.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, indicating that individuals bearing the Ontko surname had spread across the region. One notable example is Marcin Ontko, a Polish nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 17th century.

As the Ontko family expanded and migrated, variations in spelling emerged, including Ontkov, Ontkovych, and Ontkovsky. These variations often reflected regional linguistic differences or the adoption of Russianized or Germanized spellings.

In the 19th century, the Ontko surname was recorded in several villages in the Galicia region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now part of modern-day Poland and Ukraine). Prominent individuals from this period include Andrzej Ontko (1820-1892), a Polish writer and poet, and Petro Ontko (1842-1919), a Ukrainian politician and activist involved in the struggle for Ukrainian independence.

Another notable figure was Oleksandr Ontko (1875-1952), a Ukrainian artist and illustrator known for his work in the Modernist and Art Nouveau styles. His paintings and illustrations often featured scenes from Ukrainian folklore and rural life.

As the Ontko family continued to disperse across Eastern Europe and beyond, the name appeared in various communities and contexts. Ivan Ontko (1905-1983) was a prominent Ukrainian-American educator and author who helped preserve Ukrainian culture and language in the United States.

Throughout its history, the surname Ontko has maintained its connection to its Slavic roots and the traditional falconry and hunting practices that likely gave rise to the name centuries ago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ontko

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

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

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

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