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

Johnke, 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 Johnke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Johnke in America

Johnke is the 73666th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Johnke surname appeared 263 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 Johnke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Johnke 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 Johnke

The surname Johnke originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Johanneke," which was a diminutive form of the name Johannes (John). The name was likely initially used to identify someone who was the son or descendant of a man named Johannes.

Johnke was predominately found in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Saxony and Brandenburg. The name appears in various historical records from these regions, including church registers and tax records from the 1500s onwards.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Johnke, a farmer who lived in the village of Bornitz, near Leipzig, in the late 16th century. Another notable mention is found in the "Kirchenbuch" (church book) of the town of Neuruppin, which records the birth of Johann Johnke in 1612.

In the 17th century, the name can be found in various records from the city of Berlin, indicating that some Johnke families had migrated to the growing urban center. One such individual was Friedrich Johnke, a baker who lived in Berlin in the 1670s.

As the name spread across Germany over the centuries, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Johnke, Jonke, and Joncke. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of individual scribes or record-keepers.

One of the earliest known individuals of significance bearing the Johnke surname was Johann Friedrich Johnke, a German composer and organist who lived from 1738 to 1814. He served as the organist at the Liebfrauenkirche in Halle and composed numerous works for organ and choir.

Another notable figure was Wilhelm Johnke, a German lawyer and politician who lived from 1848 to 1920. He served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and was involved in various legal reforms during the late 19th century.

In the 20th century, Karl Johnke (1906-1985) was a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other German cities in the post-war period.

While the Johnke surname is not among the most common in Germany, it has a rich history that can be traced back several centuries, with roots in the northern regions of the country and a varied array of notable individuals who have carried the name over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Johnke

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

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

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

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