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

Ehlke, 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 Ehlke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ehlke in America

Ehlke is the 52736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ehlke surname appeared 393 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 Ehlke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ehlke 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 Ehlke

The surname Ehlke originates from the northern regions of Germany, particularly Lower Saxony, during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "eich," meaning oak, and the suffix "-ke," which was commonly added to surnames to indicate a diminutive or affiliation. Thus, Ehlke likely referred to someone who lived near an oak tree or a place with a significant oak presence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ehlke can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the Archdiocese of Bremen, dating back to the 14th century. This document mentions an individual named Hinrich Ehlke, suggesting the surname's use in the region during that time.

In the 16th century, the name Ehlke appeared in various records from the town of Lüneburg, located in Lower Saxony. These records include references to individuals such as Hans Ehlke (born c. 1520) and Margarete Ehlke (born c. 1545), indicating the surname's continued presence in the area.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Ehlke throughout history. One prominent figure was Johann Ehlke (1556-1628), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who served as the chief pastor of the St. Petri Church in Hamburg. Another was Carl Ehlke (1807-1884), a German-American painter known for his landscape and genre works.

In the 19th century, the name Ehlke can be found in records from the Prussian province of Pomerania, which was part of the Kingdom of Prussia at the time. One example is Friedrich Ehlke (1820-1885), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.

As the surname Ehlke spread beyond its northern German origins, it also appeared in other regions and countries. For instance, Gottfried Ehlke (1892-1976) was a German-American architect and artist who worked extensively in California, designing numerous buildings and contributing to the development of the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style.

Throughout its history, the surname Ehlke has maintained its connection to its Germanic roots and the significance of the oak tree, serving as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of northern Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ehlke

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

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

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

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