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

Walkowiak, 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 Walkowiak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Walkowiak in America

Walkowiak is the 23205th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Walkowiak surname appeared 1,099 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 Walkowiak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Walkowiak 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 Walkowiak

The surname Walkowiak is of Polish origin, derived from the combination of the Slavic word "walk" meaning "battle" or "warrior" and the suffix "-owiak," indicating a person's occupation or place of origin. It likely emerged in the regions of modern-day Poland during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Walkowiak dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in the town records of Krakow, Poland. In these records, a man named Jan Walkowiak was mentioned as a skilled blacksmith and weaponsmith, lending credence to the meaning of the name being associated with warriors or those involved in battle-related professions.

The Walkowiak surname has also been found in several historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries, including parish records and tax registers from various regions of Poland. These records often referred to individuals with this surname as landowners, farmers, or tradesmen, suggesting that the name had become more widespread across different social classes over time.

One notable individual bearing the Walkowiak surname was Stanisław Walkowiak, a Polish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars during the early 19th century. He was born in 1785 and served as a cavalry commander in the Polish Legions under the leadership of Prince Józef Poniatowski.

Another notable figure was Franciszek Walkowiak (1857-1932), a Polish composer and musician who was renowned for his contributions to the development of Polish folk music and traditional dances. His compositions and arrangements of Polish mazurkas and polonaises were widely celebrated during his lifetime.

In the 20th century, Wanda Walkowiak (1902-1985) gained recognition as a Polish actress and theater director. She was particularly known for her performances in productions at the renowned Stary Teatr in Krakow and her work in promoting Polish culture and arts.

Józef Walkowiak (1910-1973) was a Polish physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics. He held prestigious positions at various universities in Poland and was widely respected for his research and teaching.

Lastly, Jadwiga Walkowiak (1922-2011) was a distinguished Polish painter and sculptor. Her works, often exploring themes of nature and human existence, were exhibited in galleries across Europe and earned her numerous awards and accolades throughout her career.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Walkowiak

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

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

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

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