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

Petrunak, 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 Petrunak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petrunak in America

Petrunak is the 116201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petrunak surname appeared 150 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 Petrunak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petrunak 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 Petrunak

The surname PETRUNAK is of Ukrainian origin, originating in the western regions of the country during the 16th century. It is derived from the Ukrainian word "petrun," meaning "thunder," and the suffix "-ak," which indicates belonging or relation. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a thunderous or loud place, such as a waterfall or a blacksmith's forge.

The earliest recorded instance of the name PETRUNAK can be found in a 1569 census of the town of Lviv, where a family with the surname is listed as residing in the city's outskirts. In the 17th century, the name appeared in church records from the village of Krivorivnia in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, indicating that the PETRUNAK family had spread to other parts of western Ukraine.

One notable bearer of the PETRUNAK surname was Ivan PETRUNAK (1793-1868), a prominent Ukrainian scholar and historian. He authored several works on the history and culture of the Ukrainian people, including a seminal book on the Cossack era. Additionally, Oleksandr PETRUNAK (1825-1892) was a respected Ukrainian writer and poet, whose works helped shape the development of modern Ukrainian literature.

In the 19th century, the PETRUNAK name began to appear in genealogical records from other parts of Eastern Europe, suggesting that members of the family had migrated to neighboring regions. For instance, a PETRUNAK family is recorded as living in the town of Białystok, then part of the Russian Empire, in the 1860s.

Another notable figure with the PETRUNAK surname was Mykhailo PETRUNAK (1887-1957), a Ukrainian activist and politician who played a significant role in the struggle for Ukrainian independence during the early 20th century. He served as a member of the Central Council of Ukraine and later fled to Canada, where he continued to advocate for Ukrainian causes.

As the PETRUNAK family spread across Eastern Europe and beyond, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as PETRUNIAK, PETRUNIOK, and PETRUNYAK. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its Ukrainian heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petrunak

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

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

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

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