2000
#9,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,272
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Bork
From Swedish, referring to someone who lived in a fortified place or castle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,383 Americans carry the last name Bork. That puts it at #10,385 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,317 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bork 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
3.4K
1 in 101,317
Census rank
#10,385
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,950 bearers of the surname Bork in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10385th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bork, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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earliest recorded instances of the name Bork can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bork
Among Census respondents with the surname Bork, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bork 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 Bork surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 2,782
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 71
- Two or more races2.0% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 24
- Black or African American0.2% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bork
Bork 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
#9,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,448
+176 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 267 places
2020
#10,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,950
-498 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 952 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,166 | 3,272 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,433 | 3,448 | 1.17 | +176 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 267 places |
| 2020 | #10,385 | 2,950 | 0.99 | -498 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 952 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 Bork 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 | #9,433 | #10,385 | -10.1% |
| Count | 3,448 | 2,950 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 0.99 | -15.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bork bearers went from 3,448 to 2,950 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 952 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,433 to #10,385.
FAQ
Bork surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bork?
Name Census estimates that about 3,383 living Americans carry the surname Bork. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,317 residents.
How common is Bork?
Bork ranks #10,385 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 2,950 people with the surname Bork. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,383), 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 Bork.
Has Bork become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bork went from 3,448 recorded bearers to 2,950. That is a decrease of 498 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,433 to #10,385.
What does the Census say about the background of Bork?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bork, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Bork in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (2,782 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bork appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (2.4%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Bork (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 Bork mean?
From Swedish, referring to someone who lived in a fortified place or castle. 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 Bork (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 Bork?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.