2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bradke
A German topographic surname derived from a clearing or opening in a wood or forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Bradke. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bradke 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Bradke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bradke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bradke
The surname Bradke is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Pomerania, now a part of modern-day Poland and Germany. The name is thought to have first appeared in the late 13th or early 14th century, derived from the Old German word "brod," which means "broad" or "wide," possibly referring to a physical characteristic or a geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bradke can be found in the Pomeranian Chancery Books, a collection of official records from the region, dating back to the 14th century. These books mention several individuals with variations of the name, such as Brodke, Brotke, and Bradeken.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Bradke (1501-1569) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Gdańsk (then known as Danzig). His success and influence likely contributed to the spread and recognition of the Bradke name throughout the region.
During the 17th century, the name Bradke appeared in several church records and parish registers across Pomerania. One notable example is Johann Bradke (1632-1701), a Lutheran pastor who served in the town of Słupsk (formerly Stolp) and authored several religious texts.
In the 19th century, the Bradke surname gained further recognition with the birth of Karl Bradke (1837-1914), a renowned German philosopher and Sanskrit scholar. He taught at the University of Berlin and made significant contributions to the study of Indian philosophy and language.
Another notable individual with the Bradke surname was Emil Bradke (1858-1935), a German chemist and inventor. He is credited with developing the first practical process for manufacturing synthetic rubber, a groundbreaking achievement that had a profound impact on the industrial and automotive sectors.
Throughout the centuries, the Bradke name has also been associated with various places and geographical features in the Pomeranian region. For example, the village of Bradkemühle (now called Brodaczyn) in modern-day Poland was likely named after a Bradke family that owned a mill or resided in the area.
While the surname Bradke is still found primarily in Germany and parts of Poland today, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and ancestry, carrying with it a rich historical legacy that spans centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bradke
Among Census respondents with the surname Bradke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bradke 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 Bradke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bradke
Bradke 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,913 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 21,913 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,457 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 Bradke 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 | #151,532 | #152,989 | -1.0% |
| Count | 108 | 105 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bradke bearers went from 108 to 105 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,989.
FAQ
Bradke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bradke?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Bradke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Bradke?
Bradke ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Bradke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Bradke.
Has Bradke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bradke went from 108 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Bradke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bradke, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Bradke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bradke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (6.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Bradke (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 Bradke mean?
A German topographic surname derived from a clearing or opening in a wood or forest. 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 Bradke (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 Bradke?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Bradke at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.