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

Pekas, 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 Pekas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pekas in America

Pekas is the 132206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pekas surname appeared 128 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 Pekas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pekas 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 Pekas

The surname Pekas can be traced back to its origins in Lithuania, where it first emerged in the 16th century. It is derived from the Lithuanian word "pekas," which means "baker." This suggests that the name was likely given to individuals who worked as bakers or were associated with the baking trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pekas can be found in the Lithuanian Metrica, a collection of historical records and documents dating back to the 15th century. The name appears in the records of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name Pekas began to spread across the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which at the time encompassed parts of modern-day Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland. During this period, variants of the name such as Pekaz and Pekash also emerged.

One notable figure bearing the surname Pekas was Jonas Pekas (1620-1695), a Lithuanian merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of trade routes between Lithuania and neighboring regions. His name is mentioned in several historical documents related to trade agreements and land transactions from that era.

Another individual of note was Marija Pekas (1755-1832), a Lithuanian writer and educator who published several works on Lithuanian culture and folklore. Her writings provided valuable insights into the traditions and customs of the Lithuanian people during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In the 19th century, the name Pekas began to appear in records outside of Lithuania as members of the family migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond. For example, Antanas Pekas (1835-1912) was a Lithuanian-American immigrant who settled in Chicago and became a prominent figure in the city's Lithuanian community.

Other notable individuals with the surname Pekas include Juozas Pekas (1875-1952), a Lithuanian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the First Lithuanian Republic, and Vytautas Pekas (1910-1985), a Lithuanian-American artist and sculptor whose works are featured in various museums and galleries across the United States.

While the name Pekas is relatively uncommon outside of Lithuania and Lithuanian diaspora communities, it continues to be a recognizable surname with deep historical roots in the region, reflecting the baking traditions and cultural heritage of the Lithuanian people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pekas

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

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

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

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