Explore the Family Name Perko
The meaning of Perko
1. Slovenian and Croatian: from a pet form of the personal names Peter (Slovenian) and Petar (Croatian). As a Slovenian surname it may also be a patronymic from Per, an obsolete short form of Peter (compare Peric and Perz). 2. Slovenian: from a pet form of Pernar and other old variants of the personal name Bernard. 3. Sorbian (P’erko): nickname from a diminutive of Lower Sorbian p’ero ‘feather’. 4. Finnish: habitational name from farms so named, from the dialect word perko (standard Finnish perkiö) ‘cleared field’, with reference to their location. Established as a hereditary surname in the 19th century mainly in southwestern Finland, southeastern Satakunta, and southwestern Tavastia.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Perko in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Perko has seen a decline in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 21,142 and by 2010 it had fallen to 25,555, reflecting a decrease of 20.87%. Likewise, the count of individuals carrying this surname dropped from 1,157 in 2000 to 966 in 2010, marking a 16.51% reduction. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased from 0.43 in 2000 to 0.33 in 2010, representing a 23.26% decline.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,142 | #25,555 | -20.87% |
| Count | 1,157 | 966 | -16.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.43 | 0.33 | -23.26% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Perko
When discussing ethnicity associated with the surname Perko, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority identified as White, although this percentage slightly declined from 98.10% in 2000 to 95.34% in 2010. People identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased their representation from 0.43% to 0.83%, while those recognizing themselves as part of two or more races rose significantly from 0.43% to 1.24%. There was also an increase in the Hispanic representation, going from 0.61% in 2000 to 2.28% in 2010. However, there were no changes recorded for Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities under the Perko surname during this time period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 98.1% | 95.34% | -2.81% |
| Hispanic | 0.61% | 2.28% | 273.77% |
| Two or More Races | 0.43% | 1.24% | 188.37% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.83% | 93.02% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |