2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gurk
A German surname likely derived from a variant pronunciation of the word "Gurgel" meaning "throat" or "gullet".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Gurk. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gurk surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Gurk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurk, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gurk
The surname Gurk has its origins in Germany, with records indicating its use as early as the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the German word "gurke," which means "cucumber." This connection suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who cultivated or sold cucumbers.
The earliest documented instances of the name Gurk can be found in various medieval records from the German regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One notable mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century, where the name appears as "Gurke."
In the 14th century, the surname Gurk was also recorded in the Bavarian town of Augsburg, where it was spelled as "Gürck." This variation in spelling was common during that era, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Gurk include Hans Gurk (1490-1562), a German Renaissance painter known for his religious works and portraits. Another prominent figure was Johann Gurk (1575-1641), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on Protestant doctrine.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Gurk appeared to have spread throughout various regions of Germany, as evidenced by records from cities like Nuremberg and Leipzig. The surname is also found in some historical documents from the neighboring regions of Austria and Switzerland, suggesting that the name had gained a broader geographic reach.
One intriguing historical reference is the mention of a "Gurk family" in the chronicles of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria. According to these records, the Gurk family was a prominent and influential clan in the town during the 15th century.
Other notable individuals with the surname Gurk include Heinrich Gurk (1698-1776), a German composer and organist known for his sacred music compositions, and Else Gurk (1873-1945), a German novelist and playwright who wrote several acclaimed works during the early 20th century.
While the surname Gurk may have originated from a humble connection to cucumber cultivation, its history spans centuries and encompasses individuals from various walks of life, including artists, theologians, and literary figures, reflecting the diverse paths that families with this name have taken throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gurk
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurk, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gurk bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gurk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gurk
Gurk appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-15 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,050 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-15 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,647 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 21,050 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 12,647 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gurk surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #142,108 | #154,755 | -8.9% |
| Count | 117 | 102 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gurk bearers went from 117 to 102 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 12,647 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #154,755.
FAQ
Gurk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gurk?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Gurk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Gurk?
Gurk ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Gurk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gurk.
Has Gurk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gurk went from 117 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Gurk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurk, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gurk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gurk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (4.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gurk (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gurk mean?
A German surname likely derived from a variant pronunciation of the word "Gurgel" meaning "throat" or "gullet". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gurk (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Gurk?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Gurk on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.