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

Polak, 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 Polak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Polak in America

Polak is the 9780th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Polak surname appeared 3,313 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Polak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Polak 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 Polak

The surname Polak originates from Poland and is a Polish name derived from the word "Polak," which means "a Pole" or "a person from Poland." The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages when surnames began to be widely adopted across Europe.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Polak can be traced back to the 14th century in various Polish records and manuscripts. One notable mention is in the Księga Henrykowska (The Book of Henryków), a medieval Latin manuscript from the late 14th century, where the name "Polak" appears.

In the 15th century, the name Polak can be found in the Akta Grodzkie i Ziemskie (Acts of Territorial and Castle Courts), a collection of court records from various regions of Poland. These records often listed individuals by their surnames, providing valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of certain names during that period.

During the Renaissance period, the name Polak was associated with several notable figures, including Jan Polak (c. 1450-1519), a Polish mathematician and astronomer who worked at the University of Krakow and made significant contributions to the field of trigonometry.

Another historical figure bearing the surname Polak was Stanisław Polak (1539-1584), a Polish diplomat and writer who served as the secretary to King Stefan Batory and played a crucial role in the diplomatic relations between Poland and other European countries.

In the 17th century, the name Polak appeared in the records of the Potop Szwedzki (The Deluge), a series of invasions and wars that ravaged Poland between 1655 and 1660. One notable individual from this period was Jerzy Polak (c. 1620-1680), a Polish military commander who fought against the Swedish invaders during the Deluge.

The 18th century saw the emergence of Andrzej Polak (1720-1796), a Polish poet and playwright who was known for his satirical works and contributions to the development of Polish literature.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the name Polak gained further prominence with the birth of Kazimierz Polak (1859-1944), a renowned Polish painter and illustrator who was celebrated for his watercolor landscapes and depictions of rural life in Poland.

While the surname Polak is most commonly associated with Poland and its historical figures, it has also been adopted by individuals of Polish descent in various parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural influences of the Polish diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Polak

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

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

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

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