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

Umek, 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 Umek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Umek in America

Umek is the 138304th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Umek surname appeared 121 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 Umek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Umek 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 Umek

The surname Umek has its origins in Slovenia, a country located in southeastern Europe. It is believed to have emerged during the 13th century, when surnames began to be adopted in the region. The name Umek is derived from the Slovene word "umek," which translates to "retreat" or "withdrawal."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Umek can be found in a 14th-century document from the town of Škofja Loka, which mentions a certain Janez Umek. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and may have been associated with a specific occupation or lifestyle.

In the 16th century, the surname Umek appears in records from the Carniola region, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. A notable figure from this period was Andrej Umek, a farmer and landowner who lived in the village of Železniki around 1550.

During the 17th century, the name Umek spread to other parts of Slovenia, as well as neighboring regions such as Croatia and Italy. One individual of note was Matija Umek, a scholar and priest who was born in Ljubljana in 1635 and served as a professor at the University of Graz.

The 18th century saw the emergence of several prominent individuals bearing the surname Umek. One such figure was Jurij Umek, a merchant and trader who was born in Trieste (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) in 1720. Another was Franc Umek, a military officer who served in the Austrian army during the Napoleonic Wars and was born in Celje in 1775.

In the 19th century, the name Umek continued to be found throughout Slovenia and neighboring regions. A notable bearer of the surname was Alojzij Umek, a writer and poet who was born in Gorizia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) in 1825 and is considered one of the pioneers of Slovenian literature.

As the centuries passed, the Umek surname spread to other parts of Europe and even beyond, carried by individuals seeking new opportunities or fleeing conflicts. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the Slovenian region and its rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Umek

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

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

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

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