Explore the Family Name Petek

The meaning of Petek

Slovenian and Croatian: nickname based on Slovenian and dialectal Croatian petek ‘Friday’, denoting a child born on a Friday or an ill-fated person (because Friday was considered unlucky in the Middle Ages), or perhaps derived directly from peti ‘fifth’, denoting a child born as a fifth child.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Petek in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Petek has seen a significant rise in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 80,216th most common name, however by 2010 it had risen to become the 73,911th most common, marking an increase of 7.86%. Correspondingly, the number of individuals with this surname also increased from 220 to 262, a growth rate of 19.09%. The proportion of people carrying the Petek surname per 100,000 also saw an upturn of 12.5% during this decade.

20002010Change
Rank#80,216#73,9117.86%
Count22026219.09%
Proportion per 100k0.080.0912.5%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Petek

Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Petek surname, based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of people with this surname are predominantly of White ethnicity. In 2000, 95% of people with this surname identified as White, which decreased slightly to 94.66% in 2010. Interestingly, there was a small emergence of individuals identifying with two or more races, reaching 1.91% in 2010. However, no individuals with this surname reported Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities during either census year.

20002010Change
White95%94.66%-0.36%
Two or More Races0%1.91%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%