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

Franke, 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 Franke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Franke in America

Franke is the 4802nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Franke surname appeared 7,359 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Franke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Franke 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 Franke

The surname "FRANKE" originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "franko," which means "free" or "free man." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who were not serfs or slaves but held a free status in society.

The name is found in various spellings, including "Franke," "Franck," and "Francke," reflecting regional variations and changes in spelling conventions over time. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with references in historical documents such as tax records and property deeds.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname "FRANKE" was Sebastian Franck, a German Renaissance writer and philosopher who lived from 1499 to 1542. His works explored themes of religious tolerance, humanism, and social critique. Another prominent individual was August Hermann Franke, a German Protestant theologian and educator who founded the Franckesche Stiftungen, a renowned educational institution in Halle, Germany, in the late 17th century.

The surname "FRANKE" is also associated with several place names in Germany, such as Frankenberg, Frankenau, and Frankenthal, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have originated from or resided in these locations. Additionally, the name has been linked to the Franconian region of Germany, which may have contributed to its widespread usage.

Throughout history, other notable individuals with the surname "FRANKE" include:

1. Gottfried August Bürger (1747-1794), a German poet known for his ballads and lyric poetry.
2. Albert James Franke (1867-1942), an American architect who designed numerous buildings in the Chicago area.
3. Kuno Franke (1867-1944), a German Orientalist and scholar of Sanskrit literature.
4. Marianne Franke (1917-1990), a German writer and poet who explored themes of resistance and survival during World War II.
5. Walter Franke (1924-2011), a German-American physicist and pioneer in the field of solid-state physics.

While the surname "FRANKE" has its roots in medieval Germany, it has since spread across various regions and countries, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped human societies over centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Franke

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

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

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

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