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

Pankow, 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 Pankow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pankow in America

Pankow is the 19321st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pankow surname appeared 1,401 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 Pankow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pankow 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 Pankow

The surname Pankow originated in the region of Brandenburg, Germany. It is derived from the place name Pankow, a district of Berlin. The name Pankow itself is believed to come from the Slavic word "pank," meaning "swamp" or "marsh," reflecting the geographical features of the area where the name originated.

The earliest known record of the name Pankow dates back to the 13th century. In 1237, a document mentions a "Henricus de Pankow," indicating the presence of an individual from the town of Pankow. This suggests that the name was already in use as a locative surname, identifying individuals by their place of origin or residence.

Over the centuries, various spellings of the name have been documented, such as Panckow, Pankov, and Panckau. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and differences in scribal practices.

In the 14th century, the name Pankow appeared in the records of the Teutonic Order, a German Catholic military order that played a significant role in the region's history. One notable figure was Hartmann von Pankow, a knight who served in the Order during the late 14th century.

During the Renaissance period, the Pankow family produced several notable scholars and intellectuals. Johannes Pankow (1541-1619) was a German theologian and writer who published works on religious subjects.

In the 18th century, Carl Friedrich Pankow (1736-1813) gained recognition as a German jurist and legal scholar. He authored several influential treatises on German law.

The 19th century saw the rise of a prominent Pankow family in the field of architecture. Friedrich Pankow (1816-1890) was a renowned German architect who designed numerous buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank and the Borsig Palace.

Another notable figure was Fritz Pankow (1857-1924), a German entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Pankow Locomotive Works, a major manufacturer of steam locomotives and railway equipment.

Throughout its history, the surname Pankow has been associated with various professions and fields, reflecting the diverse contributions of individuals bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pankow

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

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

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

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