Folke
A Swedish masculine name derived from an Old Norse word meaning "people".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Folke. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Folke today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Folke births was 1913 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Folke. 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 Folke. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1913
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1913 SSA rank
#2,987
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Folke: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Folke 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 Folke during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Folke
The name Folke originates from Old Norse, the language spoken by the Norsemen or Scandinavian Vikings during the 8th to 13th centuries. It is derived from the Old Norse word "folk," which means "people" or "tribe." The name was common among the Vikings and was likely given to children with the intention of representing their connection to the community or their role as part of the larger group.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Folke dates back to the 11th century, when it appeared in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of literary works that documented the lives and adventures of the Vikings. The Sagas often included characters with names like Folke, reflecting the cultural significance of the name during that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Folke. One of the most famous was Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish prince and diplomat who was born in 1895 and died in 1948. He served as the United Nations Mediator in Palestine during the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict and played a crucial role in negotiating truces and facilitating the exchange of prisoners of war.
Another prominent figure with the name Folke was Folke Filbyter, a legendary Swedish warrior and military commander who lived in the 12th century. According to historical accounts, Filbyter led several successful campaigns against the Danish and Norwegian kingdoms, earning him a reputation as a fearless and skilled leader.
In the realm of literature, Folke Bergman was a Swedish author and playwright born in 1901 and died in 1975. He is best known for his novels and plays that explored themes of social injustice and the human condition, such as "The Condemned" and "The Burned Child."
The name Folke also appeared in religious contexts, as evidenced by Folke Anjou, a Swedish bishop who lived in the 15th century. Anjou played a significant role in the Catholic Church during his time and was known for his efforts in promoting education and religious reform.
Another notable figure with the name Folke was Folke Zettervall, a Swedish architect born in 1916 and died in 2005. Zettervall was renowned for his modernist designs and his contributions to the development of Swedish architecture in the 20th century, including the design of the Stockholm City Theatre.
While the name Folke has its roots in Old Norse and was particularly prevalent among the Vikings, it has maintained its presence throughout Scandinavian history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including royalty, military leaders, writers, clergymen, and architects.
People
Folke + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Folke as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Folke: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Folke?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Folke 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 - US residents.
Is Folke a common name?
We classify Folke as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Folke most popular?
The single biggest year for Folke was 1913, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Folke is about 0 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 Folke in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Folke a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Folke 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 Folke still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Folke 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 Folke 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 Folke?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Folke, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.