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

Junker, 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 Junker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Junker in America

Junker is the 11508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Junker surname appeared 2,733 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Junker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Junker 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 Junker

The surname Junker is of German origin, emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "junker," which referred to a young nobleman or squire. This term itself originated from the word "juncherre," meaning "young lord."

The name Junker was initially associated with the lower nobility, particularly among the landed gentry and rural aristocracy in various regions of what is now modern-day Germany. It was a title bestowed upon the sons of knights or noblemen who had not yet attained full knighthood or inherited their family's estate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Junker can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 14th century. In this record, a certain Henning Junker is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the year 1349.

Another notable early bearer of the name was Hans Junker, a German explorer and adventurer who embarked on expeditions across Africa in the late 19th century. Born in 1876, he is renowned for his explorations of the regions now known as Namibia and Botswana, as well as his contributions to the study of African languages and cultures.

In the 16th century, the Junker family played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Johann Junker, born in 1520, was a prominent Lutheran theologian and reformer who worked closely with Martin Luther and assisted in the translation of the Bible into German.

During the 17th century, the name Junker was associated with the rise of the Prussian nobility and the formation of the Junker class, which consisted of wealthy landowners and influential members of the aristocracy. One notable figure from this period was Otto von Junker, born in 1642, who served as a military commander and diplomat in the service of the Prussian king.

In the 19th century, the Junker family produced several notable figures in the fields of science and academia. Carl Gustav Junker, born in 1828, was a German zoologist and evolutionary biologist who made significant contributions to the study of invertebrates and their evolutionary relationships.

Throughout its history, the surname Junker has been subject to various spelling variations, such as Juncker, Juncken, and Jungker, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic changes over time. However, the core meaning and association with nobility and landed gentry have remained consistent across these variations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Junker

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

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

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

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