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

Bourque, 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 Bourque surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bourque in America

Bourque is the 3961st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bourque surname appeared 8,973 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Bourque.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bourque 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 Bourque

The surname Bourque has its origins in France, specifically in the regions of Poitou and Saintonge. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "borg," which meant a small village or hamlet. The name first appeared in written records during the 12th century.

One of the earliest known references to the Bourque name can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Étienne de Vaux, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the monastery of Saint-Étienne de Vaux in Poitou. This document, dated around 1180, mentions a person named Petrus de Bourque.

In the 13th century, the name Bourque was also recorded in the Livre des Bourgeois de Niort, a register of the citizens of Niort, a town in the Poitou region. This record includes several individuals with variations of the name, such as Bourquet and Bourguet.

One notable figure with the surname Bourque was Jacques Bourque, a French explorer and cartographer who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was involved in mapping the coastlines of North America and is credited with producing some of the earliest detailed maps of the region.

Another historical figure was Jean-Baptiste Bourque, a French Catholic priest who lived in the 17th century. He served as a missionary in Canada and played a significant role in establishing the Catholic Church in the French colonies of North America.

In the 18th century, Louis Bourque, a French soldier and military engineer, gained prominence for his work on fortifications in the French colonies of the Caribbean. He was involved in the construction of several forts and defensive structures in the region.

During the same period, Marie-Madeleine Bourque, a French-Canadian woman, became known for her role in the defense of the town of Louisbourg during the Siege of Louisbourg in 1745. She is celebrated for her bravery and resilience in the face of the British attack.

In the 19th century, Émile Bourque, a French painter and illustrator, gained recognition for his works depicting scenes from rural France and everyday life. He was particularly celebrated for his etchings and engravings.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Bourque throughout history. The name has a rich heritage and has been carried by people from various walks of life, from explorers and soldiers to artists and religious figures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bourque

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

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

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

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