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

Skolnik, 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 Skolnik surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Skolnik in America

Skolnik is the 28498th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Skolnik surname appeared 837 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 Skolnik.

We can also compare 2010 data for Skolnik 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 Skolnik

The surname SKOLNIK is of Polish origin, originating in the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "skola," which means "school" or "learning." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone associated with a school or educational institution, such as a teacher or scholar.

In its earliest form, the name was likely spelled as "Skolnik" or variations like "Skolnyk" and "Skolnicki." It is possible that the name was also influenced by the Polish word "skola," meaning "rock" or "cliff," which could indicate a connection to a specific geographic location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SKOLNIK can be found in the Polish town of Krakow, where a man named Jan Skolnik was listed as a resident in the city's records in the year 1487. Additionally, a document from the town of Poznań in 1521 mentions a certain Tomasz Skolnik, who was likely a local tradesman or merchant.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name SKOLNIK began to spread beyond Poland, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in neighboring countries such as Ukraine and Belarus. One notable figure from this era was Andrei Skolnik, a Ukrainian Cossack leader who fought against Polish rule in the mid-17th century.

As the name continued to disperse throughout Eastern Europe, it evolved into various spellings, including "Skolnick," "Skolnicki," and "Skolnicky." In the late 18th century, a man named Michał Skolnicki was a prominent landowner and nobleman in the region of Galicia, which was then part of the Austrian Empire.

Another individual of note was Józef Skolnik, a Polish-born author and journalist who lived in the early 19th century. He is known for his writings on Polish history and culture, which helped to promote national identity during a time when Poland was partitioned among neighboring empires.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the SKOLNIK surname began to appear more frequently in various records and historical accounts across Eastern Europe, indicating the continued spread and influence of those bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Skolnik

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

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

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

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