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

Depke, 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 Depke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Depke in America

Depke is the 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Depke surname appeared 139 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 Depke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Depke 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 Depke

The surname Depke has its roots in Germany, originating in the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "deph," which means "deep" or "profound." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a deep voice or someone who had a deep understanding of a particular subject.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Depke can be found in the Bavarian town of Augsburg, where a merchant named Hans Depke was mentioned in a trade record from 1387. Another early reference comes from the town of Goslar in Lower Saxony, where a man named Henrich Depke was listed as a landowner in a 1412 census.

As the name spread across Germany, variations in spelling emerged, such as Depke, Depcke, and Depkke. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional pronunciations.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful trading alliance in Northern Europe. A merchant named Jurgen Depke from Bremen was noted for his successful trade ventures in the Baltic region.

During the 17th century, the Depke name gained prominence in the city of Leipzig, where a family of notable scholars and academics resided. One of the most famous members was Johann Gottfried Depke (1697-1768), a respected theologian and author who published several works on religious philosophy.

Another notable individual was Friedrich Wilhelm Depke (1809-1877), a Prussian military officer who served in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. He was awarded the Iron Cross for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

As the centuries progressed, the Depke name continued to spread across Germany and into neighboring countries. Otto Depke (1878-1960), a German-American architect, gained recognition for his innovative designs and contributions to the Art Deco movement in the United States.

In the 20th century, the name Depke was associated with several prominent figures, including Gerhard Depke (1909-1983), a German chemist who made significant contributions to the field of polymer science, and Hans-Joachim Depke (1924-2007), a German businessman and philanthropist known for his support of various charitable causes.

While the Depke name may not be as widespread as some other German surnames, it has a rich history that spans centuries and encompasses individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, scholars, military personnel, architects, scientists, and philanthropists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Depke

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

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

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

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