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

Berke, 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 Berke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Berke in America

Berke is the 11504th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Berke surname appeared 2,734 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Berke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Berke 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 Berke

The surname BERKE is believed to have originated in Germany. It is derived from the Old German word "berc" or "berg," meaning "hill" or "mountain." This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near or on a hill or mountain.

The earliest recorded instances of the name BERKE can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany. It is possible that the name may have been influenced by the German place name "Berg," which is a town located in the state of Bavaria.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname BERKE was Johannes Berke, a merchant who lived in the city of Cologne in the late 14th century. In the 15th century, there are records of a family named Berke residing in the town of Erfurt, in the central region of Germany.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the BERKE surname spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Switzerland. In the Netherlands, the name was sometimes spelled as "Berke" or "Berken," while in Switzerland, it was often written as "Bercker."

A notable figure with the surname BERKE was Johann Gottfried Berke (1711-1786), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig. Another individual of note was Friedrich Wilhelm Berke (1790-1868), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.

In the 19th century, the BERKE surname made its way across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States and Canada, as many German immigrants sought new opportunities in the New World. One such individual was Christian Berke (1822-1895), who was born in Germany and later settled in Pennsylvania, where he worked as a farmer.

Another notable figure with the BERKE surname was Friedrich August Berke (1827-1908), a German botanist and mycologist who made significant contributions to the study of fungi. He published numerous works on the subject and is considered one of the pioneers in the field of mycology.

As the BERKE surname spread throughout different regions and countries, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Berke," "Bercke," "Bercken," and "Bercker." However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the Old German word "berc" or "berg," reflecting its topographic origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Berke

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

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 Berke 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 Berke 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 Berke was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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