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

Palko, 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 Palko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Palko in America

Palko is the 17651st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Palko surname appeared 1,592 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 Palko.

We can also compare 2010 data for Palko 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 Palko

The surname Palko is believed to have originated in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in areas now part of modern-day Poland and Slovakia. It is thought to have emerged sometime around the 15th or 16th century.

The name Palko is derived from the Slavic root word "palka," which translates to "stick" or "rod." This suggests that the surname may have originally referred to an occupation or trade involving the use of sticks or rods, such as a shepherd, woodworker, or even a military position.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Palko surname can be found in a registry of land ownership from the town of Krakow, Poland, dating back to the late 16th century. The entry lists a certain Jan Palko as a landowner in the region.

In the 17th century, there are records of a family by the name of Palko residing in the village of Čachtice, which was then part of the Kingdom of Hungary (now in modern-day Slovakia). One notable member of this family was Alžbeta Báthory, a countess and serial killer who was accused of torturing and murdering hundreds of young women between 1585 and 1610.

Another historical figure with the Palko surname was Michal Palko, a Slovak writer and poet who lived from 1829 to 1909. He is best known for his contributions to the Slovak national revival movement and his efforts in preserving and promoting the Slovak language and culture.

In the late 19th century, a man named Andrej Palko gained recognition as a skilled architect and builder in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings, including churches and public buildings, across what is now Slovakia and parts of Hungary.

Another notable bearer of the Palko surname was Ján Palko, a Slovak painter and artist who lived from 1907 to 1983. He is celebrated for his vivid landscape paintings and his depictions of rural life in Slovakia, capturing the beauty and traditions of the country's countryside.

While the Palko surname is still found in various parts of Eastern Europe, particularly in Slovakia and Poland, it has also spread to other regions due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Palko

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

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

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

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