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

Duke, 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 Duke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Duke in America

Duke is the 995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Duke surname appeared 35,053 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Duke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Duke 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 Duke

The surname Duke has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "duc" and the Latin word "dux", both of which mean a leader or commander. The title of "duke" was first used in England during the Norman conquest in the 11th century.

The surname Duke is believed to have originally been an occupational name given to those who held the prestigious position of a duke or served under a duke in some capacity. It may have also been given as a nickname to someone who had a commanding presence or exhibited leadership qualities.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Duke can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Duc" and "Duk", reflecting its French origins.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Duke was Sir Ralph de Duk, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1176. Another early record is of Robert le Duc, who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1219.

The surname Duke is also associated with several places in England, such as Duke's Wood in Hertfordshire and Duke's Bridge in Gloucestershire. These place names may have contributed to the surname or been named after individuals bearing the name.

Notable individuals with the surname Duke throughout history include:

1. Richard Duke of Gloucester (1452-1485), better known as King Richard III of England.
2. Henry Duke of Suffolk (c. 1516-1551), an English courtier and nobleman.
3. Sir Edward Duke (c. 1619-1677), an English merchant and Member of Parliament.
4. Richard Duke (1658-1711), an English writer and critic, known for his work on classical literature.
5. Ellington Duke (1879-1960), an American baseball player who played for the St. Louis Browns and the Boston Red Sox.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Duke

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

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

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

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