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

Koepke, 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 Koepke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koepke in America

Koepke is the 10373rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koepke surname appeared 3,106 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 Koepke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koepke 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 Koepke

The surname Koepke has its origins in Germany, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Low German word "kop," meaning "head" or "knoll," and the diminutive suffix "-ke." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on a small hill or elevated land.

The earliest recorded instances of the Koepke surname can be traced back to the regions of Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg in northern Germany. It is likely that the name was first used as a descriptive term to distinguish individuals based on their place of residence or geographical features near their homes.

One of the earliest known references to the Koepke name can be found in the parish records of the town of Lübeck, located in present-day Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. In the year 1592, a certain Johann Koepke was mentioned as a resident of the town.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Koepke surname appeared in various church and civil records across northern Germany, with variations in spelling such as Köpke, Köpcke, and Koepke. This period saw the gradual spread of the name to other regions of Germany, as well as the emergence of notable individuals bearing the surname.

One such individual was Johann Christian Koepke (1670-1748), a Lutheran theologian and author from Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He published several works on theology and religious topics during his lifetime.

Another notable figure was Carl Friedrich Koepke (1784-1854), a German writer and poet from Saxony. He is best known for his contributions to the Romantic literary movement in Germany and his works on folklore and mythology.

In the 19th century, the Koepke surname crossed borders as German immigrants began to settle in other parts of Europe and the Americas. One prominent example is Carl Koepke (1825-1900), a German-American architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Another individual of note is Gustav Koepke (1860-1939), a German philologist and academic who specialized in the study of Romance languages and literature. He taught at various universities in Germany and authored several scholarly works in his field.

As the Koepke surname spread globally, it continued to be carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural and historical narratives associated with this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koepke

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

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

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

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