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

Bork, 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 Bork surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bork in America

Bork is the 9433rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bork surname appeared 3,448 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 Bork.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bork 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 Bork

The surname Bork is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "burg," which means "fortress" or "castle." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near or worked in a castle or fortified structure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bork can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. In this collection, there is a reference to a person named "Borko de Wilthen" in the year 1268.

The name Bork also appeared in various other historical records throughout Europe, such as the Dithmarschen Land Registry from the 16th century, where it was spelled as "Borck." This variation in spelling was common during that time period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One notable person with the surname Bork was Johann Bork, a German theologian and Lutheran pastor who lived from 1585 to 1641. He was known for his work in promoting the Reformation and his writings on religious topics.

In the 18th century, a family named Bork is recorded as having owned a manor in the village of Sieversdorf, near Berlin. This suggests that the name may have been associated with land ownership and nobility in some regions.

Another individual of note was Carl Gustav Bork, a Swedish botanist who lived from 1766 to 1828. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and was responsible for naming several plant species.

In the 19th century, a German composer named Robert Bork (1828-1898) gained recognition for his works, which included operas, symphonies, and chamber music.

While the surname Bork is not among the most common in the world, it has a long and varied history, with roots that can be traced back to medieval Germany and associations with various professions and social classes over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bork

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

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

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

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