2000
#6,566
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,760
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Rare Last name
Delk
An Old English surname derived from a place name meaning "wood frequented by elves."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,360 Americans carry the last name Delk. That puts it at #6,926 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,947 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Delk 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
5.4K
1 in 63,947
Census rank
#6,926
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,674 bearers of the surname Delk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6926th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Delk, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Delk
The surname Delk is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the German word "delk," which means "a small wooden plank or board." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to those who worked as carpenters or wood craftsmen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Delk can be found in the baptismal records of the village of Hessen in the late 1500s. The name was often spelled "Delck" or "Delckh" in these early records, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that time period.
In the 17th century, the Delk surname began to appear in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. This geographic spread suggests that members of the Delk family may have migrated or established new branches throughout different parts of the country.
While there are no known references to the Delk name in major historical records like the Domesday Book, some notable individuals bearing this surname have left their mark in history. One such figure was Johannes Delk (1595-1672), a German theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on the concept of free will and predestination.
Another prominent Delk was Johann Friedrich Delk (1768-1842), a German composer and organist who served as the court conductor for the Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. His works, though lesser-known today, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the Delk name can be found in various regions of Germany, as well as in parts of Austria and Switzerland, indicating the continued spread and migration of families bearing this surname. One notable figure from this era was Karl Delk (1832-1908), a German engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and locomotives.
As the Delk surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through immigration. In the United States, for example, there are records of a Johann Delk (1825-1899) who emigrated from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century.
While the Delk surname may not be as widely known as some other German names, it has a rich history that can be traced back several centuries. From its origins as an occupational surname to its spread throughout Germany and beyond, the Delk name has left its mark on the tapestry of human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Delk
Among Census respondents with the surname Delk, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Delk 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 Delk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.8% · 3,589
- Black or African American15.5% · 725
- Two or more races3.7% · 171
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 126
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Delk
Delk 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
#6,498
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,222
+462 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Up 68 places
2020
#6,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,674
-548 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 428 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,566 | 4,760 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,498 | 5,222 | 1.77 | +462 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 68 places |
| 2020 | #6,926 | 4,674 | 1.56 | -548 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 428 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 Delk 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 | #6,498 | #6,926 | -6.6% |
| Count | 5,222 | 4,674 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.77 | 1.56 | -11.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Delk bearers went from 5,222 to 4,674 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 428 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,498 to #6,926.
FAQ
Delk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Delk?
Name Census estimates that about 5,360 living Americans carry the surname Delk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,947 residents.
How common is Delk?
Delk ranks #6,926 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,674 people with the surname Delk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,360), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Delk.
Has Delk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Delk went from 5,222 recorded bearers to 4,674. That is a decrease of 548 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,498 to #6,926.
What does the Census say about the background of Delk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Delk, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Delk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.8% (3,589 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Delk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.8%), Black (15.5%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Delk (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 Delk mean?
An Old English surname derived from a place name meaning "wood frequented by elves." 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 Delk (1.56 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 Americans have the surname Delk?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.