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

Jonker, 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 Jonker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jonker in America

Jonker is the 33731st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jonker surname appeared 675 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 Jonker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jonker 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 Jonker

The surname JONKER originated in the Netherlands and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Dutch word "jonker," which means young nobleman or squire. The name was initially used as a title for the sons of noblemen who had not yet been knighted.

JONKER was a common surname in the provinces of North and South Holland, as well as in the regions of Friesland and Utrecht. It was often associated with wealthy landowners and members of the aristocracy. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various municipal records and legal documents.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname JONKER can be found in a 1295 manuscript from the city of Leiden, which mentions a certain Gerrit Jonker. Another notable early reference is found in the 1399 manuscript "Kroniek van Holland," which details the exploits of a knight named Dirk Jonker.

The name JONKER also appears in several historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, including the 1567 "Nieuwe Cronyk van Zeelandt" by Renier Hugenz, which mentions a wealthy merchant named Jan Jonker. In the 1624 book "Batavia Illustrata" by Olfert Dapper, there is a reference to a Dutch East India Company official named Pieter Jonker.

Some notable individuals who have borne the surname JONKER throughout history include:

1. Jacob Jonker (1530-1595), a Dutch painter known for his religious works and portraits.
2. Cornelis Jonker (1592-1667), a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in landscapes and seascapes.
3. Adriaen Jonker (1635-1712), a Dutch sculptor and architect who worked on several prominent buildings in Amsterdam.
4. Gerrit Jonker (1770-1846), a Dutch politician and diplomat who served as the Ambassador to France.
5. Petrus Jonker (1805-1875), a Dutch theologian and professor of philosophy at the University of Utrecht.

The surname JONKER has also been associated with various place names in the Netherlands, such as Jonkersloot, Jonkerbosch, and Jonkersvaart, which likely originated from landowners or noblemen bearing the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jonker

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

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

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

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