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

Burkhardt, 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 Burkhardt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burkhardt in America

Burkhardt is the 4080th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burkhardt surname appeared 8,707 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 Burkhardt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burkhardt 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 Burkhardt

The surname Burkhardt has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a compound name derived from the Germanic words "burg," meaning "fortified place" or "castle," and "hard," meaning "brave" or "hardy." Thus, the name Burkhardt likely referred to someone who lived near a castle or fortified settlement and was known for their courage and resilience.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Burkhardt can be found in various medieval documents from various regions of modern-day Germany. One notable example is a record from the year 1190, which mentions a knight named Burkhardt von Hohenzollern, who served under the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.

During the 13th century, the name Burkhardt gained prominence in the region of Franconia, located in present-day northern Bavaria. Here, the Burkhardt family established themselves as a noble lineage, owning several estates and wielding significant influence in local affairs.

In the 15th century, a renowned scholar and humanist named Johannes Burkhardt, also known as Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522), gained recognition for his contributions to the study of Hebrew and Greek languages. He played a crucial role in the Renaissance humanist movement and was instrumental in promoting the study of ancient texts.

Another notable figure bearing the Burkhardt name was Johann Burkhardt (1836-1914), a German mathematician and astronomer. He is best known for his work on the theory of elliptic functions and his contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

The name Burkhardt has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Burkhardtsdorf, a town in Saxony, and Burkhardtsfelden, a village in Baden-Württemberg. These place names likely derived from individuals named Burkhardt who held influential roles or owned lands in those areas.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many individuals with the surname Burkhardt emigrated from Germany to other parts of the world, particularly to North America. One notable example is Heinrich Burkhardt (1864-1916), a German-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in New York City, including the Church of St. Michael the Archangel and the St. Patrick's Cathedral Rectory.

Overall, the surname Burkhardt has a rich history deeply rooted in the German language and culture. It has been associated with nobility, scholarship, and various professions throughout the centuries, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burkhardt

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!