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

Funke, 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 Funke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Funke in America

Funke is the 11971st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Funke surname appeared 2,609 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 Funke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Funke 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 Funke

The surname Funke is of German origin, and it can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "funke," which means "spark" or "flash of light." This name was likely given as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who worked with fire, such as a blacksmith or a glassblower.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Funke can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, where a certain Johannes Funke was mentioned in a document dated 1562. This document was a record of guild members, suggesting that Johannes Funke was a member of a trade guild, possibly related to metalworking or glassmaking.

Another early reference to the name Funke can be found in the records of the town of Eisenach, Germany, where a family by the name of Funke resided in the late 16th century. These records indicate that the Funke family was involved in the local wine trade, which was a significant industry in the region at the time.

In the 17th century, the surname Funke began to spread beyond the borders of Germany. One notable individual bearing this name was Hans Funke, a Dutch painter who lived from 1597 to 1659. He was known for his landscapes and genre scenes, and his works can be found in several museums across Europe.

During the 18th century, the Funke surname gained prominence in various parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Saxony and Thuringia. One notable figure from this period was Johann Gottlieb Funke, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1736 to 1799. He was a prominent figure in the German Enlightenment and wrote several influential works on ethics and theology.

In the 19th century, the Funke surname continued to be well-represented in various fields, including science and academia. One notable example is Carl Philipp Funke, a German physiologist who lived from 1801 to 1876. He made significant contributions to the study of the human digestive system and was among the first to describe the phenomenon of peristalsis.

Another individual of note was Georg Funke, a German architect who lived from 1836 to 1911. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Königliche Bibliothek (Royal Library) and the Reichsbank (Imperial Bank).

As the centuries passed, the Funke surname spread further across Europe and beyond. While its origins can be traced back to Germany, the name has since been found in various countries, reflecting the migration patterns and historical movements of people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Funke

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

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

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

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