2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Houke
A surname of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from a place name or an archaic term.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Houke. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Houke 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Houke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Houke, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Houke
The surname Houke originates from Germany, first appearing in records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "hauke," which means "hill" or "raised ground." This suggests that the name may have been adopted by individuals who lived in hilly or elevated regions of Germany.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Houke surname can be found in the town of Flensburg, located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. In a local church register from 1586, a family by the name of Houke is mentioned, indicating that the name was already established in the area during that time period.
Another early reference to the Houke name appears in a land registry document from the town of Lübeck, dated 1612. The document lists a man named Hans Houke as the owner of a parcel of land in the surrounding countryside.
In the 17th century, the Houke surname began to spread beyond its initial geographical origins. Records from the city of Hamburg indicate that a family bearing the name Houke had settled there by the mid-1600s. This may have been due to economic opportunities or other factors that prompted migration within Germany.
One notable individual with the Houke surname was Johann Houke, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of Bremen in the late 18th century. Born in 1755, Johann Houke was known for his successful business ventures and his involvement in local civic affairs.
Another prominent figure was Katharina Houke (1785-1862), a renowned author and poet from the town of Heidelberg. Her works, which often explored themes of nature and the human condition, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime and helped establish her as a significant literary figure in 19th-century Germany.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the Houke name began to spread beyond Germany's borders as individuals emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. In 1892, a man named Jakob Houke (1842-1917) left his hometown of Stuttgart and settled in the United States, eventually establishing a successful farming operation in the state of Wisconsin.
Another notable individual with the Houke surname was Heinrich Houke (1901-1976), a German-born architect who gained recognition for his innovative designs and contributions to the modernist movement. Some of his most famous works can be found in cities like Berlin and Munich.
While the Houke surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its origins in Germany several centuries ago. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, authors, farmers, and architects, each leaving their mark on the communities in which they lived.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Houke
Among Census respondents with the surname Houke, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Houke 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 Houke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.1% · 76
- Black or African American15.4% · 16
- Two or more races5.8% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Houke
Houke 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+11 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,043 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-9 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,389 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 2,043 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 7,389 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 Houke 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 | #146,201 | #153,590 | -5.1% |
| Count | 113 | 104 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Houke bearers went from 113 to 104 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 7,389 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #153,590.
FAQ
Houke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Houke?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Houke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Houke?
Houke ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Houke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Houke.
Has Houke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Houke went from 113 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Houke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Houke, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Houke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.1% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Houke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.1%), Black (15.4%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Houke (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 Houke mean?
A surname of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from a place name or an archaic term. 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 Houke (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 surname Houke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.