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

Wanko, 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 Wanko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wanko in America

Wanko is the 49546th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wanko surname appeared 424 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 Wanko.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wanko 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 Wanko

The surname WANKO has its origins in Poland, dating back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "wanka," which translates to "small loaf of bread." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a baker or someone involved in the production of bread.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the WANKO surname can be found in the Poznan region of Poland, where a family by that name owned a small bakery in the town of Kalisz in the mid-1500s. Historical records from that time period mention a Jan WANKO, who was a master baker and a respected member of the local guild.

As the WANKO family grew and expanded, some members ventured beyond the confines of Kalisz and settled in other parts of Poland. By the late 17th century, there were WANKO families living in the cities of Warsaw and Krakow, where they continued to be involved in the baking trade.

In the 18th century, a notable figure by the name of Katarzyna WANKO gained recognition for her philanthropic work in the city of Lublin. Katarzyna, who was born in 1721, established a charity that provided food and shelter to the poor and destitute citizens of Lublin. Her efforts earned her the admiration of the local community, and she is remembered as a compassionate and selfless individual.

Another prominent WANKO was Stanislaw WANKO, a Polish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1785 in the town of Bydgoszcz, Stanislaw rose through the ranks of the Polish army and eventually became a decorated cavalry commander. He was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield and played a significant role in several key battles against the Russian forces.

In the 19th century, the WANKO name gained recognition in the field of education. Jan WANKO, born in 1828 in Warsaw, was a renowned scholar and professor of literature at the University of Warsaw. His contributions to the study of Polish literature and poetry were widely acclaimed, and he is regarded as one of the most influential academics of his time.

As the WANKO family continued to grow and spread throughout Poland, the name also found its way into other parts of Europe. By the early 20th century, there were WANKO families living in countries such as Germany, France, and even as far as the United States, where they likely immigrated in search of better opportunities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wanko

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

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

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

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