2000
#10,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,894
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Birk
A topographic surname derived from the Old Norse word "birki," referring to someone who lived near a birch tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,397 Americans carry the last name Birk. That puts it at #10,336 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,899 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Birk 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Birk with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,899
Census rank
#10,336
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,962 bearers of the surname Birk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10336th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Birk, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Birk
The surname BIRK is believed to have originated from the Old English word "byr" or "byrki," meaning a meadow, pasture, or enclosed land. This surname first emerged in England, particularly in the northern counties, during the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th centuries.
The name BIRK was commonly found in areas with a strong Anglo-Saxon influence, such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. It was likely derived from place names that incorporated the word "byr" or "byrki," indicating that the original bearers of this surname lived near or owned a meadow or pasture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BIRK can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Bircke" and "Byrcke" in various entries throughout the document.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named John de Byrk was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls of Yorkshire in 1225. This early reference to the surname suggests its continued use and prevalence in the region.
Another significant individual bearing the surname BIRK was Sir Ralph Birk, a prominent nobleman and landowner from Northumberland who lived during the 14th century. He was knighted for his services to King Edward III and was involved in several military campaigns against Scotland.
During the 16th century, the BIRK surname gained prominence with the birth of Henry Birk (1525-1592), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Worcester. He was known for his contributions to the translation of the Geneva Bible.
In the 17th century, Thomas Birk (1635-1701) was a notable English musician and composer who served as the organist at the Church of St. Mary-le-Bow in London. He composed several anthems and instrumental pieces that were widely performed during his time.
Another individual of note was Sir John Birk (1714-1787), a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Yorkshire from 1754 to 1768. He was an influential figure in local politics and was known for his advocacy of agricultural reforms.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Birk
Among Census respondents with the surname Birk, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Birk 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 Birk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 2,590
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.0% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 96
- Two or more races3.1% · 91
- Black or African American2.0% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Birk
Birk 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
#10,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,193
+299 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 129 places
2020
#10,336
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,962
-231 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,221 | 2,894 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,092 | 3,193 | 1.08 | +299 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 129 places |
| 2020 | #10,336 | 2,962 | 0.99 | -231 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 244 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 Birk 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 | #10,092 | #10,336 | -2.4% |
| Count | 3,193 | 2,962 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.99 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Birk bearers went from 3,193 to 2,962 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 244 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,092 to #10,336.
FAQ
Birk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Birk?
Name Census estimates that about 3,397 living Americans carry the surname Birk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,899 residents.
How common is Birk?
Birk ranks #10,336 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,962 people with the surname Birk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,397), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Birk.
Has Birk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Birk went from 3,193 recorded bearers to 2,962. That is a decrease of 231 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,092 to #10,336.
What does the Census say about the background of Birk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Birk, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Birk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (2,590 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Birk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Birk (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 Birk mean?
A topographic surname derived from the Old Norse word "birki," referring to someone who lived near a birch tree. 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 Birk (0.99 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 Americans have the surname Birk?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.