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

Waukau, 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 Waukau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Waukau in America

Waukau is the 108734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Waukau surname appeared 163 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 Waukau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Waukau 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 Waukau

The surname WAUKAU originates from the Native American Sauk (or Sac) tribe, which inhabited the areas around the Mississippi River and Great Lakes region in present-day Wisconsin and Illinois. The name is derived from the Sauk word "aakaalwi," meaning "fox," reflecting the tribe's close association with the animal.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname WAUKAU can be traced back to the late 17th century, when French explorers and missionaries encountered the Sauk tribe during their expeditions in the region. Some of the first written accounts mentioning the name include the journals of Father Jacques Marquette and René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, from the 1670s.

In the 18th century, the WAUKAU surname appeared in various historical documents related to the French and Indian War, as well as the American Revolutionary War. Notable figures bearing the name include Chief Keokuk (circa 1780-1848), a prominent leader of the Sauk and Fox tribes, who played a significant role in the Black Hawk War of 1832.

During the 19th century, as the westward expansion of the United States continued, the WAUKAU surname became more widespread. One notable individual was William WAUKAU (1821-1887), a Sauk interpreter and guide who assisted the United States government in negotiating treaties with various Native American tribes.

Another historical figure of note was Makataimeshekiakiak (Black Hawk, 1767-1838), a legendary Sauk war leader and warrior, who led a resistance against the United States government's efforts to forcibly remove the Sauk tribe from their ancestral lands in Illinois and Wisconsin.

As time passed, the WAUKAU surname also appeared in various historical documents related to the forced relocation of Native American tribes, such as the Trail of Tears and the establishment of reservations in the American West.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Waukau

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

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

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

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