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

Yakovenko, 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 Yakovenko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yakovenko in America

Yakovenko is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yakovenko surname appeared 133 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 Yakovenko.

The history of the last name Yakovenko

The surname Yakovenko has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine. Stemming from the patronymic tradition, the name is derived from the given name Yakov, which itself is the Slavic form of the Hebrew name Jacob. Adding the suffix "-enko" is characteristic of Ukrainian surnames and signifies "son of" or "descendant of." Variations of this surname can also be found across Belarus and Russia, where similar patronymic naming customs exist.

The name Yakovenko can be traced back to the late medieval period, around the 15th to 16th centuries. It is commonly believed to have originated in the rural regions of central and eastern Ukraine, where the surname was often associated with peasant and Cossack families. Historical records from Ukrainian church registries and censuses of the period include references to individuals bearing the name Yakovenko, indicating its prevalence among common folk.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname Yakovenko appears in the 17th-century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which governed parts of present-day Ukraine. A reference is made to a Maksym Yakovenko, a Cossack who lived in the Poltava region in 1638. This region was known for its significant Cossack population, and many Yakovenkos were involved in the Cossack uprisings during this period.

Another notable historical bearer of the surname is Mykola Yakovenko, born in 1854, who was a Ukrainian ethnographer and folklorist. He made substantial contributions to the documentation of Ukrainian folk traditions in the late 19th century. His works remain pivotal in the study of Ukrainian cultural history.

Further into the 20th century, Oleksandr Yakovenko, born in 1896, was an influential Soviet physicist and mathematician. His groundbreaking research in the field of theoretical physics earned him recognition within the scientific community. He unfortunately faced political persecution during the Stalinist purges and died in 1938.

In more recent history, as an extension of its patronymic origin, the name has been borne by several public figures. Another well-known individual is Volodymyr Yakovenko, born in 1931, who served as a prominent diplomat for the Soviet Union and later for Ukraine, playing a crucial role in international relations during the Cold War.

Lastly, a celebrated individual with the surname is Oleksiy Yakovenko, a professional footballer born in 1987. Despite being much more contemporary, his achievements in sports have brought international visibility to the surname, reflecting the deep-rooted and varied history of the Yakovenko lineage.

The surname Yakovenko encapsulates a rich heritage tied to Ukrainian cultural and historical narratives. Over the centuries, it has been associated with notable individuals across various fields, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yakovenko

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

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 Yakovenko 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.

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

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

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