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

Shevchenko, 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 Shevchenko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shevchenko in America

Shevchenko is the 24388th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shevchenko surname appeared 1,027 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 Shevchenko.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shevchenko 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 Shevchenko

The surname Shevchenko is of Ukrainian origin, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Ukrainian word "shevets," meaning a shoemaker or cobbler. The name likely originated among families who were engaged in the shoemaking trade in various regions of Ukraine.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Shevchenko surname can be found in the Cossack registers from the 16th and 17th centuries. These registers documented the names of Cossacks, a semi-military group that played a significant role in the history of Ukraine. The presence of the name in these records suggests that it was already well-established in that period.

The Shevchenko surname has a strong literary association due to Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861), widely regarded as the greatest Ukrainian poet and national figure. He was born a serf but later gained his freedom and became a prominent artist and writer, contributing immensely to the development of modern Ukrainian literature and culture.

Another notable figure with the Shevchenko surname was Nikita Shevchenko (1847-1921), a Russian military officer and explorer. He participated in several expeditions to Central Asia and was known for his detailed accounts of the regions he explored.

In the 20th century, Arkady Shevchenko (1930-1998) was a high-ranking Soviet diplomat who defected to the United States in 1978. His memoirs, "Breaking with Moscow," provided valuable insights into the inner workings of the Soviet government.

Vasyl Shevchenko (1939-1999) was a Ukrainian dissident and human rights activist who fought against Soviet oppression. He spent several years in labor camps for his involvement in the Ukrainian independence movement.

Maksym Shevchenko (born 1985) is a contemporary Ukrainian footballer who has played for various clubs in Europe, including AC Milan and Dynamo Kyiv. He has also represented the Ukrainian national team in international competitions.

While the Shevchenko surname is most commonly associated with Ukraine, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to immigration and migration patterns. However, its roots can be traced back to the shoemaking traditions and historical events that shaped the Ukrainian nation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shevchenko

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

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

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

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