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

Durkee, 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 Durkee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Durkee in America

Durkee is the 8248th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Durkee surname appeared 4,017 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Durkee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Durkee 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 Durkee

The surname DURKEE is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy, France, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French words "d'urquie" or "d'urquée," which refer to someone who hailed from Turkey or the area of modern-day Turkey.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholders and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "de Urquee," referring to a Norman landowner in England. This suggests that the surname was likely brought to England by Norman settlers in the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Durke," "Durcke," and "Durkee," in various records and historical documents across England and France. These variations likely occurred due to regional dialects and the evolution of spelling conventions over time.

Notably, a Sir John Durkee was a prominent figure in the English Civil War (1642-1651), serving as a Parliamentarian officer. He was born in 1600 and died in 1670.

Another notable figure was Robert Durkee, a British explorer and cartographer who accompanied Captain James Cook on his second and third voyages to the Pacific Ocean in the late 18th century. He was instrumental in mapping and documenting various islands and coastlines in the region.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DURKEE was in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century. John Durkee, born in 1629, was a prominent figure in the colony and served as a military officer during King Philip's War (1675-1678).

Another significant figure in American history was Ebenezer Durkee, born in 1719, who served as a Brigadier General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He played a crucial role in several battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Saratoga.

In more recent times, Jesse Durkee (1816-1896) was a notable American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Senator from Wisconsin in the late 19th century.

While the surname DURKEE has evolved over centuries and spread across various regions, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Normandy, where it likely referred to someone who had connections to the area of modern-day Turkey.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Durkee

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

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

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

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