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

Gierke, 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 Gierke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gierke in America

Gierke is the 27354th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gierke surname appeared 883 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gierke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gierke 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 Gierke

The surname Gierke originates from Germany, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Old German word "girich," meaning "greedy" or "desirous." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who exhibited these traits.

In the early years, the name was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas like Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg. Historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries reveal various spellings such as Gierck, Giercke, and Gierchen, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and orthography.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Lübecker Oberstadtbuch, a medieval manuscript from the city of Lübeck, dating back to the late 14th century. The name Gierke appeared in this record, indicating its presence in the region during that time period.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Petrus Gierke, a German theologian and reformer born in 1499 in Elbing, Prussia (now Elbląg, Poland). He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and served as a pastor in several cities, including Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland).

Another noteworthy individual with the surname Gierke was Otto von Gierke, a renowned German legal historian and political theorist. Born in 1841 in Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland), he made significant contributions to the study of German legal history and the concept of corporate personality.

In the realm of literature, Hans Gierke, a German writer and poet, gained recognition in the early 20th century. Born in 1888 in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), his works explored themes of rural life and the natural world, reflecting his upbringing in East Prussia.

The name Gierke also has ties to place names, particularly in Germany. For instance, the village of Giershofen, located in North Rhine-Westphalia, likely derives its name from the surname Gierke or a variation thereof. This connection further reinforces the historical roots of the name in the region.

While the surname Gierke may not be among the most widespread in modern times, its historical significance and enduring presence across generations serve as a testament to its German origins and the stories woven into its etymology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gierke

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!