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

Hilke, 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 Hilke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hilke in America

Hilke is the 45740th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hilke surname appeared 467 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 Hilke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hilke 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 Hilke

The surname HILKE is of German origin and is believed to have originated in the regions of present-day northern Germany and the Netherlands. It is thought to be derived from the Low German word "hilk," which means "hill" or "mound," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HILKE can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen in northern Germany, dating back to the 13th century. In this collection, a person named "Hinricus Hilke" is mentioned in a document from the year 1289.

During the Middle Ages, the name HILKE was also documented in various other regions of northern Germany and the Netherlands. For example, in the 14th century, a person named "Johannes Hilke" is recorded in the city archives of Lübeck, a prominent Hanseatic city in northern Germany.

A notable historical figure with the surname HILKE was Johann Hilke (1486-1548), a German Protestant reformer and theologian who was a contemporary of Martin Luther. He played a significant role in the early years of the Protestant Reformation in northern Germany.

Another individual of note was Dirk Hilke (1598-1671), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his portraits and genre scenes. He was born in Amsterdam and worked primarily in the city of Delft.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname HILKE was Friedrich Hilke (1811-1885), a German architect and urban planner. He is best known for his contributions to the design and development of the city of Berlin during the rapid urban expansion of the late 19th century.

Another historically significant individual with the surname HILKE was Karl Hilke (1887-1945), a German military officer who served in both World War I and World War II. He rose to the rank of General der Infanterie (Infantry General) in the Wehrmacht during World War II.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning Gerhard Hilke (1923-2014), a German-American artist and printmaker who was known for his abstract expressionist works. He emigrated to the United States in the 1950s and had a successful career as an artist, with his works being featured in numerous galleries and museums.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hilke

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

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

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

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