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

Platek, 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 Platek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Platek in America

Platek is the 33731st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Platek surname appeared 675 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 Platek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Platek 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 Platek

The surname Platek originated in Poland, with its roots stretching back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "płatek," which means "flake" or "fragment," possibly referring to someone who worked with metals or produced small items.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Platek name can be found in the Polish tax registers known as the "Akta Grodzkie i Ziemskie" from the late 15th century. These records contain various spellings of the name, such as Plathek, Platke, and Platek.

In the 16th century, the Platek name appears in several historical documents from the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Poland. One notable individual was Jan Platek, a farmer from the village of Strzelce Opolskie, whose name is mentioned in a land registry from 1562.

During the 17th century, the Platek family had a presence in the city of Krakow, which was a major cultural and economic center of Poland at the time. Records from the Krakow municipal archives show a merchant named Marcin Platek, who lived and worked in the city's main square in the late 1600s.

As the Platek name spread across Poland, it also found its way into other parts of Europe. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the German region of Prussia, where the name was sometimes spelled as Plattek or Plattke.

One of the most notable individuals with the Platek surname was Franciszek Platek (1785-1857), a Polish painter and engraver known for his religious and historical artwork. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and his works can be found in various churches and museums in Poland.

Another prominent figure was Józef Platek (1839-1916), a Polish engineer and inventor who played a significant role in the development of the early aviation industry. He designed and built several experimental aircraft and is considered one of the pioneers of Polish aviation.

In the 20th century, the Platek name continued to be well-represented in various fields. Tadeusz Platek (1909-1988) was a Polish writer and journalist who wrote extensively about the Second World War and the Polish resistance movement. Stanisław Platek (1924-2018) was a distinguished Polish artist and sculptor, known for his monumental public sculptures and memorials.

Throughout its long history, the surname Platek has been carried by individuals from different walks of life, from farmers and merchants to artists and inventors, all contributing to the rich tapestry of Polish and European culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Platek

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

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

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

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