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

Peka, 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 Peka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peka in America

Peka is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peka surname appeared 147 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 Peka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peka 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 Peka

The surname PEKA is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic during the 14th century. It is derived from the Czech word "peka," meaning "baker" or "one who bakes bread." This suggests that the name was likely given to those who worked as bakers or in a related trade.

In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Pekha" or "Pekca," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. It is believed that some of the earliest records of the name can be found in the archives of medieval Czech towns and villages, where bakers and their families would have lived and worked.

One of the earliest known bearers of the PEKA surname was Jan Peka, a baker who lived in the town of Kutná Hora in the late 14th century. Records show that he owned a small bakery and was a respected member of the local guild of bakers.

Another notable figure was Mikuláš Peka, a baker from Prague who lived in the 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents as a supplier of bread to the royal court of King Vladislav II.

In the 16th century, the name PEKA began to appear in other parts of Europe as Czech bakers and their families migrated to neighboring countries. For example, Hans Peka, a baker from Bohemia, settled in the German city of Nuremberg in the early 1500s and established a successful bakery there.

As the centuries passed, the PEKA surname spread further afield, with bearers of the name found in various parts of Europe and beyond. One notable figure was Jakub Peka, a Czech-born baker who emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and opened a bakery in Chicago, which became a popular destination for Czech immigrants in the city.

Other notable individuals with the PEKA surname include:

1. Petr Peka (1820-1892), a Czech writer and journalist.
2. Jaroslav Peka (1892-1964), a Czech painter and illustrator.
3. Anna Peka (1902-1981), a Czech opera singer.
4. Tomáš Peka (1936-2018), a Czech chess grandmaster.
5. Jiří Peka (born 1964), a Czech film director and screenwriter.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peka

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

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

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

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