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

Engelke, 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 Engelke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Engelke in America

Engelke is the 17752nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Engelke surname appeared 1,578 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 Engelke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Engelke 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 Engelke

The surname Engelke originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "engel," meaning "angel," which was likely used as a nickname for someone with angelic qualities or an angelic appearance. The name was initially spelled as "Engel," but variations such as "Engelke" and "Engelken" emerged over time.

In the 14th century, the name Engelke appeared in various German records, including the Stadtbücher (city books) of Lübeck, a prominent Hanseatic city in northern Germany. These records documented individuals with the surname living and working in the city.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Engelke, a merchant who lived in Lübeck in the late 15th century. He was involved in the city's thriving trade networks and his name appears in several commercial documents from that period.

During the 16th century, the name Engelke spread across different regions of Germany, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. In some areas, the name was associated with specific place names, such as Engelkenhagen, a village in Lower Saxony.

In the 17th century, the Engelke family produced notable individuals, including Johann Engelke, a Lutheran theologian and author who was born in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia) in 1599. He wrote several influential works on theology and philosophy during his lifetime.

Another prominent figure was Friedrich Engelke, a German composer and organist who lived from 1752 to 1837. He was widely recognized for his contributions to church music and composed numerous choral works and organ pieces.

In the 19th century, the Engelke surname gained further recognition with the birth of Carl Engelke (1816-1876), a German architect and urban planner. He designed several notable buildings in Berlin and played a significant role in the city's urban development during the mid-19th century.

The surname Engelke also traveled beyond Germany's borders, with some bearers emigrating to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable example is Karl Engelke, a German-born artist who lived in the United States from 1867 to 1935. He was known for his landscape paintings and portraits, which captured the beauty of the American West.

Throughout its history, the surname Engelke has maintained a strong connection to its German roots, with many bearers tracing their ancestry back to various regions of the country. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its underlying meaning and significance as a name derived from the concept of an "angel" remains a cherished part of its heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Engelke

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

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

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

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