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

Yetka, 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 Yetka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yetka in America

Yetka is the 135593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yetka surname appeared 124 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 Yetka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yetka 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 Yetka

The surname Yetka is believed to have its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly within the regions historically inhabited by Slavic peoples. The name likely originates from areas now within modern Poland, Ukraine, or Belarus. The earliest instances of surnames in these regions date back to the Middle Ages, around the 14th to 15th centuries, when individuals were first recorded with surnames for taxation and administrative purposes.

The surname Yetka appears to derive from an old Slavic word or root. It may be connected to the Polish word "jętka," which translates to “ephemeral fly” or "mayfly," a small insect known for its short-lived adult life. Alternatively, the name might be a diminutive or affectionate form derived from a common personal name during that period, combined with typical Slavic diminutive suffixes like -ka or -ek.

Historical references to the surname Yetka are rare but do exist in various regional documents. It is first recorded in the late 15th century in the Kraków Voivodeship records, when a Jan Yetka is listed as paying taxes in 1492. This indicates that the surname was established enough to be carried by families involved in local commerce or land ownership.

The earliest recorded examples show variations based on orthographic and regional differences. In the 16th century, records from Lviv (Lwów, in present-day Ukraine) mention a Mikolaj Yetko, born 1538 and died 1601, a prosperous merchant whose transactions spread across the region. Another instance appears in the 17th century with a record of a Jadwiga Yetka, noted in the 1615 baptismal registry of a small village near Warsaw.

By the late 18th century, the surname begins to appear in Prussian records following the partitions of Poland. One notable individual, Stanislaw Yetka, born 1765 and died 1828, is recorded as a participant in the Kosciuszko Uprising against foreign domination, suggesting a strong sense of national identity among those bearing the name.

Entering the 19th century, the surname persists in various localities. The industrialization period sees the migration of many families, including those with the surname Yetka, to burgeoning urban centers. A notable figure from this era is Wojciech Yetka, born 1823 and died 1890, who played a significant role in the development of early Polish railways, contributing to the modernization of transport in the partitioned territories.

Another prominent name is Anna Yetka, born 1855 and died 1934, a teacher in a rural Polish village who took part in clandestine educational activities during the time when the Polish language was suppressed under foreign rule.

The surnames' presence in historical records diminishes as families scatter due to geopolitical upheavals, wars, and immigration to countries like the United States and Canada in the early 20th century. Yet, the surname remains a testament to the complex and vibrant history of the Eastern European region and its enduring cultural legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yetka

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

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

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

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