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

Burkhalter, 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 Burkhalter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burkhalter in America

Burkhalter is the 6431st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burkhalter surname appeared 5,282 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Burkhalter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burkhalter 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 Burkhalter

The surname Burkhalter is of German origin, hailing from the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is believed to have originated in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the German words "Burg," meaning castle or fortified town, and "Halter," meaning keeper or caretaker.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Burkhalter can be found in a document from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1389. This document mentions a certain "Hans Burkhalter," who was a member of the local guild of blacksmiths. Another early mention of the name is found in the records of the town of Freiburg im Breisgau, where a "Kunz Burkhalter" is listed as a citizen in 1421.

In the 16th century, the Burkhalter name appears in several historical records related to the Reformation movement in Germany. One notable figure from this period is Johann Burkhalter (1494-1564), a Protestant theologian and reformer who worked alongside Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon.

As the Burkhalter family spread across different regions of Germany, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Burckhalter, Burghalter, or Burgkhalter. These variations often reflected local dialects or scribal errors in transcribing the name.

One of the earliest known Burkhalters to emigrate from Germany was Hans Burkhalter (1622-1698), who settled in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (present-day New York) in the mid-17th century. He is considered to be the progenitor of many Burkhalter families in North America.

Another notable individual with the Burkhalter surname was Johann Conrad Burkhalter (1726-1789), a Swiss-German painter and engraver known for his religious and allegorical works. He was active in the city of Nuremberg during the 18th century.

In the 19th century, the Burkhalter name gained prominence in the field of watchmaking, particularly in Switzerland. One example is Jacques Burkhalter (1818-1892), a renowned Swiss watchmaker who established a successful business in the town of Le Locle.

As the Burkhalter family spread across different parts of Europe and eventually to other continents, the name became associated with various professions, from artisans and tradesmen to scholars and professionals in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burkhalter

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

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

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

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