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

Berkun, 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 Berkun surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Berkun in America

Berkun is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Berkun surname appeared 133 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 Berkun.

We can also compare 2010 data for Berkun 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 Berkun

The surname Berkun is believed to have originated in the region of Silesia, which is now divided between modern-day Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. The name first emerged in the 13th century, and it is thought to be derived from the Old Slavic word "berk," which means "birch tree."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Berkun can be found in the Liber Fundationum Claustri Sanctae Mariae Virginis in Heinrichau, a 14th-century manuscript from the Cistercian monastery in the town of Henryków (now part of Poland). This document mentions a man named Nicolaus Berkun, who lived in the nearby village of Bierutów.

In the 15th century, the name Berkun appeared in various records from the region, including the Silesian Landtafel, which was a registry of land ownership. One notable figure from this period was Hans Berkun, a merchant from the town of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland), who was born around 1420 and lived until the late 15th century.

During the 16th century, the name Berkun was also found in the Hussiten-Kreig, a chronicle of the Hussite Wars that took place in Bohemia and Silesia between 1419 and 1436. This document mentions a soldier named Martin Berkun, who fought in the Battle of Domažlice in 1431.

In the 17th century, the surname Berkun was associated with several notable figures, including Johannes Berkun (1602-1672), a Protestant theologian and author from the town of Hirschberg (now Jelenia Góra, Poland). Another prominent individual was Michael Berkun (1638-1701), a composer and organist who served at the court of the Dukes of Württemberg in Stuttgart, Germany.

During the 18th century, the name Berkun continued to be found in various records from the Silesian region. One noteworthy individual was Friedrich Berkun (1720-1789), a philosopher and educator from the town of Löwenberg (now Lwówek Śląski, Poland), who authored several treatises on ethics and education.

Throughout its history, the surname Berkun has also been associated with various place names and localities within the Silesian region, such as the villages of Berkau (now part of Poland) and Berken (now part of Germany). Additionally, variations in spelling have been observed, including Berckun, Berkhun, and Berkhün.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Berkun

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

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

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

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