Durke
Of English origin, a surname potentially related to words meaning "dark" or "swarthy".
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Durke. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Durke today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Durke births was 1955 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Durke. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Durke. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1955
5 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
1976 SSA rank
#5,850
Tracked since 1955
Popularity
Durke: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Durke from the 1950s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Durke by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Durke during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Durke
The name Durke has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, particularly in the Old Saxon dialect spoken in regions of present-day northern Germany and the Netherlands during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old Saxon word "durc," meaning "strong" or "valiant."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Durke can be found in the Merseburg Incantations, a collection of ancient Germanic pagan charms dating back to the 9th century. The incantations mention a figure named "Durke the Brave," suggesting that the name was associated with valor and strength in battle.
In the 11th century, a notable figure named Durke von Rothenburg emerged as a prominent military commander and advisor to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. Von Rothenburg played a significant role in the Investiture Controversy, a major conflict between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy over the appointment of bishops and abbots.
During the 12th century, a Benedictine monk named Durke of Fulda gained recognition for his scholarly works, including a treatise on astronomy and a collection of sermons. Durke of Fulda's contributions to the intellectual and religious life of his time earned him a reputation as a learned and influential figure.
In the 14th century, a Dutch painter known as Durke van Leyden produced numerous religious artworks, including altarpieces and frescoes, which adorned churches throughout the Low Countries. Van Leyden's artistic style was heavily influenced by the Gothic tradition, and his works are celebrated for their intricate details and vibrant colors.
Another notable figure bearing the name Durke was a 16th-century German printer and publisher named Durke Cranach. Cranach's printing press in Wittenberg played a crucial role in disseminating the works of Martin Luther and other leading figures of the Protestant Reformation, contributing to the spread of reformist ideas across Europe.
While the name Durke has its roots in the Germanic languages, it has been adopted and adapted in various cultures and regions over the centuries, reflecting the diverse and fascinating histories associated with this ancient moniker.
People
Durke + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Durke as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Durke: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Durke?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Durke going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Durke a common name?
We classify Durke as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Durke most popular?
The single biggest year for Durke was 1955, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Durke is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Durke in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Durke a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Durke in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Durke still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Durke in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Durke can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Durke?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Durke, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.