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

Walko, 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 Walko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Walko in America

Walko is the 22346th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Walko surname appeared 1,153 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 Walko.

We can also compare 2010 data for Walko 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 Walko

The surname Walko has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in present-day Poland and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged as early as the 13th century, derived from the Old Slavic word "volk," meaning "wolf." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname or a reference to the occupation of a wolf hunter or someone associated with wolves.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Walko can be found in a Polish land registry dating back to the late 14th century, where a certain Jan Walko was mentioned as a landowner in the region of Silesia. This provides evidence that the name had already become established as a surname by that time.

In the 16th century, several Walko families were documented in various parts of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, with some members holding positions of prominence. Notably, Marcin Walko (1525-1598) served as a councilor and diplomat in the court of King Sigismund II Augustus.

As the Walko name spread across Eastern Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Walko, Valko, and Volko. These were likely influenced by local dialects and linguistic differences between regions. Some historical records also suggest that the name may have been associated with certain places, such as the village of Walkowo in modern-day Poland.

Notable individuals with the surname Walko include:

1. Aleksander Walko (1839-1912), a Polish-born American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Walko Cigar Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
2. Józef Walko (1875-1941), a Polish painter and illustrator known for his portraits and landscapes.
3. Ivan Walko (1906-1982), a Ukrainian-American artist and sculptor recognized for his work in the Art Deco style.
4. Tadeusz Walko (1924-2003), a Polish writer and journalist who published several novels and short story collections.
5. Mariya Walko (born 1985), a Ukrainian professional tennis player who has won multiple doubles titles on the ITF circuit.

While the surname Walko is most prevalent in Poland, Ukraine, and other parts of Eastern Europe, it has also been carried by individuals and families who immigrated to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Walko

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

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

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

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