2000
#229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119,175
First available Census row
Per 100,000 44.18
Common Last name
Burke
An Irish surname derived from the Old English word "burh," meaning "fortress" or "castle."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135,706 Americans carry the last name Burke. That puts it at #256 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 39.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,526 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burke 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 Burke with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
136K
1 in 2,526
Census rank
#256
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
39.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118,342 bearers of the surname Burke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 39.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 256th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burke, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burke
The surname BURKE originated in Ireland, deriving from the Old Norman word 'de Burgh' or 'de Bourke.' It emerged in the 12th century when the Anglo-Norman family de Burgh arrived in Ireland. The name is thought to have evolved from the town of Bourke (Burgh) in Normandy, France.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name is in the Annals of Ulster in 1193, referring to William de Burgh. He was the first de Burgh to establish a stronghold in Ireland, receiving lands in Connacht and Munster from King John of England. The de Burghs quickly became prominent landowners and members of the ruling class in Ireland.
The BURKE name appears in the 14th-century Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a record of tenants and landholders in County Cork. Over time, the spelling evolved from de Burgh to Bourke and eventually to the modern BURKE form. The name is also linked to several Irish place names, such as Burrishoole (Buairidh Shúiligh) and Burrenrath (Buairidh Ráth).
Notable historical figures with the BURKE surname include William FitzAdelm de Burgh (c.1260-1333), who was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1277. Richard de Burgh (c.1285-1326), known as the Red Earl of Ulster, was a powerful Anglo-Norman nobleman and military commander during the Norman invasion of Ireland.
Edmund Burke (1729-1797) was a highly influential Anglo-Irish statesman, philosopher, and political theorist who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution and the French Revolution. He is considered one of the founders of modern conservatism.
Robert O'Hara Burke (1821-1861) was an Irish explorer who led an ill-fated expedition across Australia in 1860-1861, tragically perishing in the Australian outback.
Thomas Burke (1886-1945) was an American writer and novelist best known for his autobiographical works set in Chicago, including Limehouse Nights and Whispering Wires. He is considered a pioneer of the hard-boiled detective fiction genre.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burke
Among Census respondents with the surname Burke, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Burke 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 Burke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 98,477
- Black or African American8.6% · 10,169
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4,247
- Two or more races3.4% · 3,971
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 953
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 525
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burke
Burke 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
#246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122,877
+3,702 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 41.66
Rank movement Down 17 places
2020
#256
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118,342
-4,535 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 39.59
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #229 | 119,175 | 44.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #246 | 122,877 | 41.66 | +3,702 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 17 places |
| 2020 | #256 | 118,342 | 39.59 | -4,535 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 10 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 Burke 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 | #246 | #256 | -4.1% |
| Count | 122,877 | 118,342 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 41.66 | 39.59 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burke bearers went from 122,877 to 118,342 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #246 to #256.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Burke
FAQ
Burke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burke?
Name Census estimates that about 135,706 living Americans carry the surname Burke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,526 residents.
How common is Burke?
Burke ranks #256 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 39.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 40 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118,342 people with the surname Burke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135,706), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 39.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 39.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 40 of them to have the surname Burke.
Has Burke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burke went from 122,877 recorded bearers to 118,342. That is a decrease of 4,535 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #246 to #256.
What does the Census say about the background of Burke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burke, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Burke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (98,477 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Black (8.6%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Burke (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 Burke mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Old English word "burh," meaning "fortress" 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 Burke (39.59 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 common is the surname Burke?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Burke at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.