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

Jenke, 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 Jenke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jenke in America

Jenke is the 74375th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jenke surname appeared 260 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 Jenke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jenke 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 Jenke

The surname Jenke is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Jänk," which means quarrel or discord, potentially indicating that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a contentious or argumentative nature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jenke can be found in the baptismal records of St. Peter's Church in Berlin, where a child named Hans Jenke was baptized in 1575. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the surname Jenke appeared in various documents and records across northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name during this period include Johann Jenke, a farmer from the village of Groß Miltzow, born in 1623, and Christian Jenke, a merchant from Rostock, whose birth year is recorded as 1647.

As the name spread and evolved over the centuries, various spelling variations emerged, such as Jenke, Jencke, and Jenke. These variations can be found in historical records from different regions of Germany, reflecting the local dialectal differences and the fluidity of surname spellings in earlier times.

One notable individual bearing the surname Jenke was Johann Friedrich Jenke, a German writer and philosopher who lived from 1760 to 1827. He was known for his works on aesthetics and literary criticism, and his contributions to the development of German Classicism.

Another prominent figure was Friedrich Wilhelm Jenke, a German politician and lawyer who was born in 1812 and served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives in the mid-19th century. He played a significant role in the debates and reforms surrounding the legal system in Prussia during that period.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Jenke surname can be found in various historical records and documents across Germany, as well as in other parts of Europe where German immigrants had settled, such as the United States and Canada.

One interesting example from this time period is August Jenke, a German-American architect who was born in 1865 and played a notable role in the design and construction of several prominent buildings in San Francisco, including the Old Mint and the Hibernia Bank Building.

Another individual of note was Kurt Jenke, a German journalist and author who was born in 1895 and wrote extensively on cultural and social issues during the Weimar Republic and the early years of Nazi Germany. His works provided valuable insights into the political and societal dynamics of that era.

Throughout its history, the surname Jenke has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, merchants, writers, politicians, architects, and journalists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jenke

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

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

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

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