2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Beulke
From a German word meaning "large lump," a topographic surname referring to someone living near a rounded hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Beulke. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beulke surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Beulke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beulke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beulke
The surname BEULKE originated in Germany, likely emerging in the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "bühel" or "buol," meaning a small hill or mound, suggesting the name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived near or on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BEULKE appears in the Rotenburg tax records from the late 16th century, where a Hans Beulke is mentioned as a landowner in the region. This suggests that the name had already been established in the area by that time.
During the 17th century, the BEULKE name can be found in various church records and land registries across Northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony and Bremen. This indicates that the name had spread and was well-established in these areas.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the BEULKE surname was Johann Friedrich Beulke (1737-1812), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics and served as a pastor in Hanover.
Another individual of note was Carl Wilhelm Beulke (1781-1859), a German jurist and legal scholar who held influential positions in the Prussian legal system and made significant contributions to the development of German civil law.
The 19th century saw the BEULKE name appear in various parts of Germany, with some families migrating to other European countries and even to North America. One such individual was Friedrich Beulke (1824-1897), a German-American farmer and entrepreneur who settled in Iowa and established a successful agricultural business.
In the early 20th century, Hermann Beulke (1892-1964) was a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts in Berlin after World War II.
Throughout its history, the BEULKE surname has maintained a strong presence in Germany, with various branches and variations of the name emerging over time, such as Beuhlke, Beulcke, and Beulken.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beulke
Among Census respondents with the surname Beulke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Beulke bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Beulke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beulke
Beulke appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,674 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 6,674 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 2,130 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Beulke surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #153,769 | #151,639 | 1.4% |
| Count | 106 | 107 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beulke bearers went from 106 to 107 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 2,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #151,639.
FAQ
Beulke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beulke?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Beulke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Beulke?
Beulke ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Beulke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Beulke.
Has Beulke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beulke went from 106 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Beulke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beulke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Beulke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beulke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (2.8%), Black (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Beulke (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Beulke mean?
From a German word meaning "large lump," a topographic surname referring to someone living near a rounded hill or mound. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Beulke (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Beulke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.