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

Opalka, 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 Opalka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Opalka in America

Opalka is the 35622nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Opalka surname appeared 631 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 Opalka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Opalka 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 Opalka

The surname Opalka originated in Poland, with the earliest records dating back to the 15th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "opal," which means opal gemstone. This suggests that the name may have been originally given to someone who mined, worked with, or traded in opals.

The name Opalka is believed to have originated in the region of Silesia, which was part of Poland during the 15th century. It is possible that the name was also used in other parts of Poland, as well as in neighboring countries such as Germany and the Czech Republic, where the name may have been spelled slightly differently, such as Opalka or Opalka.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Opalka surname can be found in the Prussian tax records of 1487, which mention a person named Jakub Opalka living in the town of Wroclaw (Breslau). Another early reference to the name comes from the Polish town of Opole, where a merchant named Jan Opalka is mentioned in a trade document from 1522.

In the 17th century, a prominent Polish noble family bearing the Opalka surname rose to prominence. This family owned lands in the region of Lublin and played an important role in local politics and government. One notable member of this family was Mikolaj Opalka (1600-1678), who served as a member of the Polish parliament (Sejm) and was a vocal advocate for religious tolerance.

Another notable figure with the Opalka surname was Stanislaw Opalka (1835-1912), a Polish painter and art teacher who helped establish the School of Fine Arts in Krakow. His works, which often depicted scenes from Polish history and folklore, can be found in museums across Poland.

In the 20th century, the artist Roman Opalka (1931-2011) gained international recognition for his conceptual art project, "OPALKA 1965/1 - ∞," in which he painted numerical sequences on canvases over the course of several decades until his death. His work explored themes of time, infinity, and the human condition.

The Opalka surname is still prevalent in Poland today, with many families tracing their roots back to the historic regions of Silesia, Lublin, and other parts of the country. While the name has spread to other parts of the world through immigration, its origins and history remain firmly rooted in Polish culture and tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Opalka

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

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

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

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