2000
#11,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,434
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Bourke
Derived from the Irish surname de Búrca, meaning "from the fort" or "of the borough."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,713 Americans carry the last name Bourke. That puts it at #12,508 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,338 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bourke 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 Bourke with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,338
Census rank
#12,508
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,366 bearers of the surname Bourke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12508th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bourke, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bourke
The surname Bourke originates from Ireland and dates back to the 12th century when the Anglo-Norman de Burghs arrived in the country. The name is derived from the Old French word "burgh," meaning a small fortified village or town. The Bourkes were one of the first Norman families to settle in Ireland, establishing themselves in the counties of Limerick, Tipperary, and Mayo.
The earliest recorded reference to the Bourke name is found in the Annals of Innisfallen, a medieval Irish chronicle, where it is mentioned as early as 1194. The name appears in various spellings, such as de Burgo, Burgh, and Bourke, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the Bourke surname is Sir John Bourke, born around 1420 in County Mayo. He was a prominent military commander and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses. Another famous Bourke was Sir Richard Bourke, born in 1777, who served as the Governor of New South Wales, Australia, from 1831 to 1837.
The Bourke name is also associated with place names, such as Bourke County in New South Wales, Australia, named after Sir Richard Bourke, and the town of Bourke in the same county. Additionally, the Bourke River and the Bourke Range in Queensland, Australia, were named after Sir Richard Bourke.
Other notable individuals with the Bourke surname include Edmund Bourke, an Irish Catholic philosopher and theologian born in 1753, and Robert Bourke, born in 1844, who was an Australian politician and served as the Premier of Victoria from 1893 to 1894.
The Bourke name has a rich history in Ireland, with many prominent families and individuals contributing to various aspects of society, including military, politics, and academia. While the surname has spread worldwide, its roots can be traced back to the Anglo-Norman settlers who played a significant role in shaping the history of Ireland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bourke
Among Census respondents with the surname Bourke, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bourke 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 Bourke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 2,076
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 82
- Two or more races2.9% · 69
- Black or African American2.2% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bourke
Bourke 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
#12,370
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,514
+80 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 582 places
2020
#12,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,366
-148 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 138 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,788 | 2,434 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,370 | 2,514 | 0.85 | +80 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 582 places |
| 2020 | #12,508 | 2,366 | 0.79 | -148 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 138 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 Bourke 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 | #12,370 | #12,508 | -1.1% |
| Count | 2,514 | 2,366 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.79 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bourke bearers went from 2,514 to 2,366 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 138 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,370 to #12,508.
FAQ
Bourke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bourke?
Name Census estimates that about 2,713 living Americans carry the surname Bourke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,338 residents.
How common is Bourke?
Bourke ranks #12,508 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,366 people with the surname Bourke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,713), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Bourke.
Has Bourke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bourke went from 2,514 recorded bearers to 2,366. That is a decrease of 148 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,370 to #12,508.
What does the Census say about the background of Bourke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bourke, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Bourke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (2,076 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bourke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Bourke (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 Bourke mean?
Derived from the Irish surname de Búrca, meaning "from the fort" or "of the borough." 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 Bourke (0.79 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 Bourke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.