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

Walczak, 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 Walczak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Walczak in America

Walczak is the 9466th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Walczak surname appeared 3,437 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Walczak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Walczak 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 Walczak

The surname Walczak has its origins in Poland, tracing back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Polish word "walczyć," meaning "to fight" or "to struggle." The suffix "-ak" indicates a person or occupation, suggesting that Walczak was initially used to refer to someone who fought or was a soldier.

In the early days, the name was primarily found in the regions of Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) and Lesser Poland (Małopolska), where many historical records from the 15th to 18th centuries mention individuals with this surname. Some of the earliest documented examples include Maciej Walczak, a landowner from the village of Koźmin in 1472, and Jan Walczak, a soldier from Krakow, who participated in the Polish-Swedish War in the 17th century.

The Walczak surname has also been associated with various place names in Poland, such as Walczachów, Walczachowo, and Walczaki, which may have influenced the surname's development. These place names are believed to have originated from the same root word, "walczyć," indicating areas where people engaged in battles or struggles.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Walczak surname in historical records is found in the Liber Beneficiorum, a 15th-century manuscript detailing church benefices in the Diocese of Krakow. This document mentions a certain Stanisław Walczak, who held a position in the church during that time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Walczak surname. These include:

1. Jerzy Walczak (1555-1618), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Muscovite War.
2. Katarzyna Walczak (1768-1829), a Polish peasant and revolutionary who participated in the Kościuszko Uprising against the Russian Empire.
3. Feliks Walczak (1826-1891), a Polish writer and journalist known for his contributions to the development of the Polish language and literature.
4. Józef Walczak (1889-1945), a Polish politician and member of the Sejm (Polish parliament) during the interwar period.
5. Kazimierz Walczak (1916-1984), a Polish artist and painter whose works are showcased in several museums across Poland.

While the Walczak surname has its roots in Poland, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the name's rich history and connections to the Polish language and culture remain an integral part of its identity.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Walczak

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

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

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

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