Danko
A surname with East Slavic roots, often a pet form built from a short name stem like Dan- or Dank-.
The #7,815 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 72,869 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The available historical excerpt treats Danko as a short, familiar form built from an older name stem beginning with Dan- or Dank-. In Slavic naming, this kind of ending often creates an affectionate or diminutive pet form, so the name may originally have meant something like "little Dan" or "son of Dan". The excerpt also places it among related short forms such as Dank, Tanke, and Denk, but it does not give a fully certain derivation.
History
Danko is found in Slavic naming traditions and is also known as a given name or nickname in parts of Eastern Europe, which later became a hereditary surname. In German-language surname scholarship, it appears as a compact diminutive form rather than a fully transparent occupational or place-name surname. In modern usage it is especially associated with Slavic-speaking regions and diaspora communities.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same -ko ending that appears in many Slavic diminutives can make a surname feel originally affectionate rather than formal.
From the historical record
“Einstämmige Kürzung Dank-. Danko: Danko; Dank — Tanke — Denk — Tenke. Vklf. (1) Danchilo: Danckel — Denket (Danckelmann) — Dengel (z) Danzo: Danx — Tanx. {z-\-\)\”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen