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

Calk, 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 Calk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Calk in America

Calk is the 36630th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Calk surname appeared 610 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Calk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Calk 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 Calk

The surname Calk originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "calce," which means "chalk" or "limestone." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a chalky or limestone area, or perhaps someone who worked with chalk or limestone in some capacity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Calk can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "de Calc" and "de Chalc," indicating its association with chalk or limestone.

During the 13th century, the name Calk was found in several historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census-like documents that recorded the names of landowners and their properties. One notable example is Robert de Calk, who was recorded as a landowner in Lincolnshire in 1273.

In the 14th century, the name Calk appeared in various spellings, such as "Calke" and "Chalke," in various records, including the Poll Tax returns of 1377-1381. One notable individual from this period was John Calke, who was born in Derbyshire around 1350 and served as a member of the local gentry.

The 16th century saw the emergence of more notable individuals bearing the surname Calk. One such person was William Calk, born in Gloucestershire in 1520, who was a prominent merchant and landowner. Another was Thomas Calk, born in Worcestershire in 1565, who was a respected scholar and writer.

In the 17th century, the name Calk was found in several parish records and historical documents, including the Hearth Tax returns of the 1660s. One notable individual from this period was Richard Calk, born in Oxfordshire in 1620, who was a successful farmer and landowner.

The 18th and 19th centuries saw the Calk surname spread more widely across England and beyond. Notable individuals from this period include John Calk (1745-1825), a wealthy industrialist from Staffordshire, and Henry Calk (1790-1868), a renowned architect from Yorkshire who designed several notable buildings in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Calk

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

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

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

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