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

Gehrke, 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 Gehrke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gehrke in America

Gehrke is the 7915th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gehrke surname appeared 4,180 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 Gehrke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gehrke 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 Gehrke

The surname Gehrke is of German origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. The name is derived from the Low German word "gere" or "gehre," meaning "spear" or "javelin," which indicates that the name was likely an occupational surname for a spearmaker or warrior.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gehrke can be found in the Liber Proscriptionum, a medieval legal document from the city of Lübeck, dating back to the late 13th century. This document mentions a certain "Hinricus Gherke," suggesting that the name was already in use during that time.

The name Gehrke is also found in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, including church registers and tax rolls. For instance, in the parish records of Stade, a town near Hamburg, there is an entry from 1587 mentioning a "Hans Gehrke."

Over the centuries, the name Gehrke has undergone slight variations in spelling, such as Gerke, Geerke, and Gehrken. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Gehrke throughout history include:

1. Johann Gehrke (1839-1916), a German-American architect and builder who designed several prominent buildings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
2. Karl Gehrke (1886-1944), a German chemist and professor at the University of Leipzig, known for his contributions to analytical chemistry.
3. Walter Gehrke (1880-1945), a German naval officer who served as the commander of the German East Asia Cruiser Squadron during World War I.
4. Reinhard Gehrke (born 1947), a German classical philologist and academic, specializing in ancient Greek literature and philosophy.
5. Uwe Gehrke (born 1957), a former East German footballer who played as a defender for various clubs, including Dynamo Dresden.

While the surname Gehrke is not among the most common names in Germany, it has a long and rich history, spanning several centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life, from architects and scientists to military personnel and academics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gehrke

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

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

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

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