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

Kolk, 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 Kolk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kolk in America

Kolk is the 31906th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kolk surname appeared 723 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 Kolk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kolk 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 Kolk

The surname Kolk is of Dutch origin, originating from the Netherlands during the medieval period. This name is derived from the Dutch word "kolk," which means a small circular body of water or a whirlpool. It is believed that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a whirlpool or a small lake.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Kolk can be traced back to the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands, where it appears in a registry of citizens from the 13th century. During this time, the name was spelled as "Kolke" or "Kolck," reflecting the various regional spellings and pronunciations.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Hendrik Kolk was mentioned in historical records from the city of Leiden. He was a merchant and guild member who played a significant role in the city's trade and commerce.

One of the earliest instances of the Kolk surname outside of the Netherlands can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Colc," which is likely an anglicized version of the Dutch surname.

During the 16th century, a renowned artist named Pieter Kolk (1500-1567) gained recognition for his intricate woodcut illustrations and engravings. His works were widely appreciated throughout the Netherlands and beyond.

Another notable figure with the surname Kolk was Jan Kolk (1629-1702), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his genre scenes and portraits. His works are preserved in several museums and private collections across Europe.

In the 18th century, Willem Kolk (1740-1805) was a prominent Dutch architect who designed several iconic buildings in Amsterdam, including the iconic Beurs van Berlage, which is now a renowned cultural center.

During the 19th century, a Dutch explorer and naturalist named Hendrik Kolk (1820-1892) made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). His extensive collections and scientific writings are preserved in various museums and libraries.

Throughout history, the surname Kolk has also been associated with various place names, such as Kolksloot (a village in the Netherlands), Kolkbrug (a bridge in Amsterdam), and Kolkveld (a residential area in Rotterdam). These place names often derived from the presence of small circular bodies of water or whirlpools in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kolk

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!