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

Jerke, 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 Jerke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jerke in America

Jerke is the 57372nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jerke surname appeared 355 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 Jerke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jerke 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 Jerke

The surname "JERKE" is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "gerken," which means "to twist" or "to turn." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a spinner or weaver, occupations that involved twisting and turning fibers.

In the 13th century, records from the town of Rostock in northern Germany mention a family with the surname "Jerke." This is one of the earliest documented instances of the name's use. During this time, surnames were often based on occupations, physical characteristics, or places of origin.

The Jerke name can also be traced back to the village of Jerke, located in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is possible that some individuals with this surname may have originated from this particular location, adopting the place name as their family name.

One notable bearer of the Jerke surname was Johann Jerke, a German theologian born in 1588 in Altenburg, Saxony. He studied at the University of Wittenberg and later became a pastor and professor of theology in Jena.

Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Wilhelm Jerke, a German composer and organist born in 1737 in Potsdam. He composed several operas and instrumental works during his lifetime.

In the 17th century, the Jerke family had a presence in the city of Cologne, as evidenced by the records of a merchant named Hans Jerke, who lived and traded in the city during this period.

The name "Jerke" also appears in some historical records from the Netherlands, suggesting that it may have been adopted by Dutch families as well. One such example is Willem Jerke, a Dutch painter born in 1649 in Rotterdam, known for his landscapes and cityscapes.

Another notable figure with the surname Jerke was Karl Jerke, a German architect born in 1872 in Berlin. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city during the early 20th century, including the Reichsbank building and the Deutscher Reichstag building.

It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as "Jerken," "Jerkow," and "Jercke," were also common in historical records, reflecting regional differences and changes in orthography over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jerke

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

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

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

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