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

Pitonyak, 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 Pitonyak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pitonyak in America

Pitonyak is the 93513th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pitonyak surname appeared 196 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 Pitonyak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pitonyak 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 Pitonyak

The surname Pitonyak is of Eastern European origin, specifically from the regions of modern-day Poland and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century, derived from the Slavic root words "piten" or "pitny," which refer to something drinkable or related to drinking. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or characteristic associated with the production or consumption of alcoholic beverages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pitonyak surname can be found in the Polish parish records of the village of Przyborów, dating back to the late 17th century. In these records, the name appears in various spellings, including Pitoniok, Pytoniok, and Pitoniak, reflecting the linguistic variations common in that era.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Pitonyak surname spread across Eastern Europe, particularly in areas that were part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and later the Russian Empire. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Andrzej Pitonyak (1722-1798), a Polish landowner and military officer who fought in the Kościuszko Uprising against Russian forces.

As Eastern European immigration to North America increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Pitonyak surname began to appear in various parts of the United States and Canada. One noteworthy individual was Wladyslaw Pitonyak (1876-1942), a Polish-American civil engineer who contributed to several major infrastructure projects in New York City and surrounding areas.

In the realm of literature, the Ukrainian-born writer and poet Oksana Pitonyak (1915-1992) gained recognition for her works exploring themes of displacement, identity, and the immigrant experience. Her poetry collections, such as "Echoes of Distant Lands," captured the struggles and resilience of those who left their homelands in search of a new life.

Another notable figure was Bohdan Pitonyak (1938-2012), a Ukrainian-American academic and author who specialized in Slavic literature and cultural studies. He taught at various universities in the United States and authored several books on topics related to Ukrainian and Eastern European literature and history.

While the Pitonyak surname may not be among the most common globally, it has left its mark in various fields and carries a rich history rooted in the cultural traditions and migration patterns of Eastern European communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pitonyak

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

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

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

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