2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bjorke
A Scandinavian topographic surname referring to a birch tree or birch woodland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Bjorke. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bjorke 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Bjorke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bjorke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bjorke
The surname Bjorke has its origins in Norway, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Norse word "bjork," which means "birch tree." The name likely originated in areas where birch trees were abundant, such as forests or rural regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bjorke can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents. In a document dated 1348, a person named Torstein Bjorke is mentioned, suggesting that the name was already in use during that time period.
The name Bjorke is also associated with several place names in Norway. For example, the village of Bjorke in the municipality of Trysil is believed to have been named after the surname. Additionally, there are several farms and locations with variations of the name, such as Bjørkeåsen and Bjørkelia.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Bjorke. One of the earliest was Arne Bjorke, a Norwegian farmer and local leader who lived in the 16th century. Another prominent figure was Knut Bjorke, a Norwegian Lutheran clergyman who served as the Bishop of Trondheim from 1622 to 1628.
In the 19th century, Ole Bjorke (1832-1910) gained recognition as a Norwegian painter and illustrator. His works often depicted scenes from rural life and Norwegian folklore. Another artist with the same surname was Sigrid Bjorke (1875-1952), a Norwegian sculptor known for her works in bronze and granite.
More recently, Tor Bjorke (1919-2003) was a Norwegian military officer and resistance fighter during World War II. He played a crucial role in the Norwegian resistance movement against the German occupation and was awarded several honors for his service.
While the surname Bjorke is not as common as some other Norwegian names, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bjorke
Among Census respondents with the surname Bjorke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bjorke 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 Bjorke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 6
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bjorke
Bjorke 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,343 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,355 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 12,343 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,355 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 Bjorke 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 | #141,140 | #146,495 | -3.8% |
| Count | 118 | 114 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bjorke bearers went from 118 to 114 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,355 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #146,495.
FAQ
Bjorke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bjorke?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Bjorke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Bjorke?
Bjorke ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Bjorke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Bjorke.
Has Bjorke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bjorke went from 118 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Bjorke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bjorke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bjorke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bjorke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (5.3%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bjorke (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 Bjorke mean?
A Scandinavian topographic surname referring to a birch tree or birch woodland. 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 Bjorke (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 are called Bjorke?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Bjorke on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.