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

Pleak, 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 Pleak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pleak in America

Pleak is the 146201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pleak surname appeared 113 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 Pleak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pleak 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 Pleak

The surname Pleak originated in the German region of Bavaria in the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "pleck", which referred to a small plot or patch of land. The name likely originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived on or worked a small plot of farmland.

One of the earliest known records of the name Pleak is found in the town of Abensberg, Bavaria, where a Johann Pleak was documented in church records in 1487. Over the following centuries, variations of the name such as Plecke, Plecker, and Plecker were found in various regions of southern Germany.

In the 16th century, the name appears in historical documents related to the Reformation, as there are records of a Protestant family by the name of Pleak who fled religious persecution in Bavaria and settled in the town of Strasbourg in the region of Alsace, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire.

The earliest known bearer of the name Pleak in England was Hans Pleak, a German immigrant who arrived in London in 1634 and established a successful business as a clockmaker. His son, Johann Pleak (1656-1721), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned clockmaker in his own right.

Another notable figure was Carl Pleak (1789-1857), a Bavarian philosopher and author who wrote extensively on the concept of natural rights and the role of government. His work influenced the political thought of the time and contributed to the liberal movements of the 19th century.

In the United States, one of the earliest known individuals with the surname Pleak was Johann Pleak (1803-1876), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Pleak include:

• Friedrich Pleak (1825-1901), a German mathematician and professor at the University of Berlin.
• Anna Pleak (1879-1957), an Austrian opera singer who performed at the Vienna State Opera.
• Heinrich Pleak (1891-1968), a German engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early automotive technology.
• Ingrid Pleak (1921-2003), a German-born American artist known for her abstract expressionist paintings.

While the surname Pleak is not particularly common today, it has a rich history dating back to its origins in medieval Bavaria, with individuals bearing this name making notable contributions in various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pleak

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

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

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

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