Woyak last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Woyak

A Polish surname derived from the Slavic root "voj" meaning warrior or soldier.

Woyak, 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 Woyak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woyak in America

Woyak is the 54055th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woyak surname appeared 382 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 Woyak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woyak 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 54055 57544 -6.25%
Count 382 331 14.31%
Proportion per 100k 0.13 0.12 8.00%

The history of the last name Woyak

The surname Woyak likely has Slavic origins, stemming from Central or Eastern Europe. The name appears to be particularly linked to Poland and the regions with historical Polish influence. The earliest roots of Woyak can be traced back to the word wojak, which in Polish translates to 'soldier' or 'warrior'. This term has related forms in other Slavic languages, such as vojak in Czech and vojnik in Serbian, all bearing a martial connotation.

Historical records of the surname Woyak are relatively scarce in the earlier medieval periods. However, one of the earliest documented references appears in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 16th century. An early example may be found in parish registers or land records, where variations in surnames were common due to inconsistent spelling practices. Woyak could have alternately been recorded as Wójak, Wojak, or even Voyak depending on the record keeper's linguistic background.

A notable individual bearing the surname Woyak is Jan Woyak, a soldier under the command of King John III Sobieski, born circa 1620 and active around the time of the Battle of Vienna in 1683. His contributions to the military campaigns against the Ottoman Empire played a significant role during this period. Another person of significance is Katarzyna Woyak, born in 1765, known for her detailed chronicles of rural Polish life during the late 18th century, providing valuable insights into societal conditions of the time.

In the 19th century, the name appears again in historical texts. Józef Woyak, born in 1812, was a notable participant in the November Uprising of 1830, a Polish insurgent against the Russian Empire. His participation in the revolt is documented in various military archives. Transitioning into the 20th century, Anna Woyak, born in 1902, was a pioneering female educator and author in the interwar period, contributing to early childhood education reforms in Poland.

Throughout its history, Woyak has maintained a strong association with martial and community leadership roles. The surname's link to the noble and valiant heritage within Slavic culture underscores its historical significance. While not as widely known as other Polish surnames, Woyak encapsulates a rich tapestry of cultural and historical narratives across several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woyak

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

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 Woyak was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.72% 358
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 2.09% 8
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.31% 5
Hispanic Origin 2.88% 11

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 Woyak has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.72% 92.75% 1.04%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 2.09% 3.02% -36.40%
Two or More Races 1.31% 2.11% -46.78%
Hispanic 2.88% 1.81% 45.63%

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

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

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