Walas last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Walas

Surname derived from the Polish word meaning "wanderer" or "itinerant person".

Walas, 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 Walas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Walas in America

Walas is the 58182nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Walas surname appeared 349 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 Walas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Walas 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 58182 53191 8.96%
Count 349 365 -4.48%
Proportion per 100k 0.12 0.14 -15.38%

The history of the last name Walas

The surname Walas has its origins in Poland, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "wałas," which means a wanderer or a traveler. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who frequently traveled or were nomadic in nature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Walas can be found in the records of the town of Krakow, where a certain Jan Walas was mentioned as a resident in the year 1389. It is likely that the name had already been in use for several generations prior to this record.

In the 15th century, the Walas surname appeared in the historical records of the city of Lublin, where a merchant named Mikołaj Walas was documented as having traded goods with neighboring regions. This indicates that the name was not confined to a single location but had spread across various parts of Poland.

The name Walas has also been found in the records of the village of Stawiszyn, where a family of landowners bearing the surname is mentioned in the 16th century. This suggests that the name had gained prominence and was associated with land ownership during that time period.

One notable individual with the surname Walas was Jan Walas, a Polish nobleman who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his involvement in the military campaigns against the Swedish invasion during the Deluge, a series of wars that ravaged Poland between 1655 and 1660.

Another significant figure was Franciszek Walas, a Polish writer and poet who lived from 1780 to 1835. He is renowned for his contributions to Polish literature, particularly his lyrical poetry and advocacy for the Polish language and culture during the era of partitions.

In the 19th century, the surname Walas was also found in the records of the village of Rudnik nad Sanem, where a family of farmers bearing the name was documented. This suggests that the name was not limited to urban areas but had also spread to rural communities.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Walas was Józef Walas, a Polish military officer who played a crucial role in the Polish resistance during World War II. He was born in 1888 and served as a member of the Armia Krajowa (Home Army), leading partisan operations against the German occupation forces.

Overall, the surname Walas has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in Polish culture and tradition. Its origins as a name associated with wanderers and travelers, as well as its presence in various regions of Poland, reflect the diverse experiences and backgrounds of those who have carried this surname throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Walas

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

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 Walas was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.56% 330
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.43% 5
Hispanic Origin 1.72% 6

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 Walas has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.56% 95.62% -1.11%
Black (S)% 2.19% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 1.43% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 1.72% 1.64% 4.76%

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

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

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"Walas last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 24, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/walas-surname-popularity/.

"Walas last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/walas-surname-popularity/. Accessed 24 August, 2025

Walas last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/walas-surname-popularity/.

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