2000
#112,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Semenuk
A surname of Ukrainian origin derived from the word "seme" meaning "family" or "clan".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Semenuk. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Semenuk surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Semenuk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Semenuk, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Semenuk
The surname SEMENUK has its origins in Ukraine, stemming from the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Ukrainian word "semen," meaning "seed" or "offspring," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked in agriculture or had a large family.
SEMENUK is a variation of the more common Ukrainian surname SEMENOV, which shares the same root word. Historical records indicate that the name was prevalent in the regions of Central and Eastern Ukraine, particularly in the areas around Kyiv and Kharkiv.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name SEMENUK can be found in a 17th-century church record from the town of Poltava, which mentions a certain Ivan SEMENUK. Records from this period often featured variations in spelling, such as SEMENIUK or SEMENUK.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure bearing the name SEMENUK was Hryhoriy SEMENUK (1734-1809), a prominent Cossack leader and military commander in the Ukrainian Hetmanate. He played a significant role in the region's resistance against Russian imperial forces.
Another individual of historical importance was Oleksandr SEMENUK (1805-1876), a Ukrainian writer and poet who contributed to the development of the Ukrainian literary language during the 19th century. His works often explored themes of Ukrainian culture and identity.
During the 20th century, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname SEMENUK was Volodymyr SEMENUK (1918-1994), a celebrated Ukrainian painter and artist. His works, showcasing vibrant colors and Ukrainian folk motifs, have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums around the world.
It is worth noting that the name SEMENUK has also been associated with various place names in Ukraine, such as the village of Semenukiv in the Lviv region and the town of Semenivka in the Chernihiv region. These place names may have originated from the presence of individuals bearing the SEMENUK surname in those areas.
Over the centuries, the SEMENUK surname has gained recognition beyond Ukraine, with individuals carrying the name residing in various parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and other countries with significant Ukrainian diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Semenuk
Among Census respondents with the surname Semenuk, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Semenuk bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Semenuk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Semenuk
Semenuk appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#117,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
+4 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,513 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-28 bearers (-18.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,569 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,967 | 144 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #117,480 | 148 | 0.05 | +4 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 4,513 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-18.9%) | Down 24,569 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Semenuk surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #117,480 | #142,049 | -20.9% |
| Count | 148 | 120 | -18.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Semenuk bearers went from 148 to 120 (-18.9% change). The surname moved down 24,569 positions in the national ranking, going from #117,480 to #142,049.
FAQ
Semenuk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Semenuk?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Semenuk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Semenuk?
Semenuk ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Semenuk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Semenuk.
Has Semenuk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Semenuk went from 148 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 28 (-18.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #117,480 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Semenuk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Semenuk, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Semenuk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Semenuk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (2.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Semenuk (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Semenuk mean?
A surname of Ukrainian origin derived from the word "seme" meaning "family" or "clan". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Semenuk (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Semenuk?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.