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

Wolk, 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 Wolk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wolk in America

Wolk is the 12303rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wolk surname appeared 2,527 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 Wolk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wolk 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 Wolk

The surname Wolk has its origins in Poland, where it is believed to have emerged in the 15th century. It is derived from the Old Polish word "wilk," meaning "wolf." This likely indicates that the name was originally given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who exhibited wolf-like characteristics or lived in an area with a large wolf population.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wolk surname can be found in the Polish town of Krakow, where a merchant named Jan Wolk is mentioned in a 1487 document. The name also appears in various church records and tax registers from the 16th and 17th centuries in regions such as Silesia and Greater Poland.

In the 18th century, the Wolk surname gained prominence with the birth of Andrzej Wolk (1725-1801), a Polish nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Kosciuszko Uprising against Russian forces. Another notable figure was Franciszek Wolk (1786-1844), a Polish painter and portraitist who gained recognition for his works depicting scenes from Polish history.

As the Wolk family spread throughout Poland and neighboring countries, variations in spelling emerged, including Wolke, Wolki, and Wolkov. Some of these variations can be traced to the migration of Wolk families to areas such as Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, where the name was adapted to local linguistic traditions.

During the 19th century, the Wolk surname gained further recognition with the birth of Kazimierz Wolk (1808-1875), a Polish writer and journalist who played a prominent role in the Polish independence movement. Another notable figure from this period was Antoni Wolk (1837-1912), a Polish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early internal combustion engines.

As the 20th century dawned, the Wolk surname continued to be represented across various fields. One notable figure was Stanislaw Wolk (1900-1986), a Polish-American journalist and author who wrote extensively about Polish culture and history.

Throughout its history, the Wolk surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, noblemen, military leaders, artists, writers, and engineers. While the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since become a respected and widely recognized Polish surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wolk

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

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

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

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