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

Funk, 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 Funk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Funk in America

Funk is the 1459th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Funk surname appeared 24,419 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Funk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Funk 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 Funk

The surname FUNK is of Germanic origin and derives from the Middle High German word "funke" meaning "spark" or "flame". It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, referring to an individual who worked as a spark-maker, possibly a blacksmith or someone involved in metalworking.

The earliest recorded instances of the FUNK surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and the Rhineland. In some areas, the name was also spelled as "Funcke" or "Funck".

One of the earliest known records of the FUNK surname appears in the "Bäuerliche Niederlassungen im Elsass" (Rural Settlements in Alsace) from 1347, where a certain "Henni Funcke" is mentioned as a resident of the town of Erstein in present-day France.

During the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the FUNK surname gained prominence in various parts of Europe. Notable individuals bearing this name include Hans Funk (c. 1495-1550), a German Protestant reformer and theologian who was a close associate of Martin Luther.

In the 17th century, the FUNK surname spread to other regions, including the Netherlands. One of the earliest recorded instances in the Netherlands is Jan Funk, a merchant from Amsterdam who was born in 1612.

As the FUNK surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to England and Scotland. One of the earliest recorded instances in England is Robert Funk, who was born in 1655 in the village of Hartfield, East Sussex.

Another notable figure with the FUNK surname was Johann Funk (1678-1744), a German-born Mennonite bishop and hymnwriter who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 18th century. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Mennonite community in North America.

In the 19th century, the FUNK surname gained prominence in the United States, particularly in the state of Pennsylvania, where many German immigrants had settled. One of the most well-known individuals with this surname was Isaac Kaufmann Funk (1839-1912), an American publisher and lexicographer who co-founded the publishing firm Funk & Wagnalls Company, known for publishing the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Funk

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

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

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

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