Find out how popular the last name Ark is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ark.

Ark, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ark surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ark in America

Ark is the 54864th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ark surname appeared 375 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ark.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ark to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ark

The surname "ARK" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "earc," meaning "ark" or "chest." This could suggest that the name may have been an occupational surname, referring to someone who made or worked with arks or chests.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "ARK" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions an individual named "Arke" residing in Oxfordshire.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Arke," "Ark," and "Arcke," indicating the flexibility in spelling during that time. One notable figure bearing this name was John Ark, a member of the Parliament of England who represented the borough of Shoreham in 1295.

During the 14th century, the surname "ARK" was found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire. In the Yorkshire Subsidy Rolls of 1379, there is a record of a "Robert Ark" living in the village of Otley.

In the 15th century, a prominent individual named William Ark (born circa 1420) was a wealthy merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. He was known for his involvement in the wool trade and served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1462.

Another notable figure was Thomas Ark (1492-1551), a clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk and authored several theological works during the English Reformation.

The name "ARK" also has connections to various place names in England, such as Arkholme in Lancashire and Arkengarthdale in Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the adoption of the surname in those regions.

Throughout history, several other individuals with the surname "ARK" have made contributions in various fields, including John Ark (1620-1699), a British mathematician and astrologer, and Samuel Ark (1710-1787), an English painter known for his portraits and landscapes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ark

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ark.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ark was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ark has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ark was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ark, please contact us.

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