2000
#13,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,044
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Linke
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "linc," meaning "left-handed" or "crooked."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,187 Americans carry the last name Linke. That puts it at #14,903 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,724 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Linke surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 156,724
Census rank
#14,903
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,907 bearers of the surname Linke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14903rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Linke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Linke
The surname Linke originates from Germany and is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "linke," meaning "left-handed" or "left," which was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was left-handed.
The name Linke was particularly prevalent in the regions of Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg in eastern Germany. In the historical records of these areas, various spellings of the name can be found, such as Lincke, Lincken, and Linken.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Linke can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the principality of Anhalt, dated around 1300. This document references a certain "Henricus Lincke," suggesting the name's existence in that region during the late medieval period.
In the 15th century, a prominent figure bearing the name Linke was Johannes Linke, a German theologian and Reformer who lived from approximately 1490 to 1557. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
Another notable individual with the surname Linke was Paul Linke, a German jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1673 to 1717. He served as a professor of law at the University of Leipzig and made significant contributions to the field of civil law.
During the 18th century, Johann Gottlieb Linke (1718-1793) was a respected German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in the city of Dresden, including the Zwinger Palace.
In the 19th century, Karl Linke (1809-1885) was a German painter and illustrator known for his landscape and genre paintings. He studied at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and his works were widely exhibited during his lifetime.
Another individual of note with the surname Linke was Hans Linke (1876-1959), a German politician and trade union leader who played an influential role in the labor movement and the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Linke
Among Census respondents with the surname Linke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Linke bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Linke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,736
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 93
- Two or more races2.7% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 23
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Linke
Linke appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,962
-82 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,434 places
2020
#14,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,907
-55 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 149 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,618 | 2,044 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,052 | 1,962 | 0.67 | -82 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 1,434 places |
| 2020 | #14,903 | 1,907 | 0.64 | -55 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 149 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Linke surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,052 | #14,903 | 1.0% |
| Count | 1,962 | 1,907 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.64 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Linke bearers went from 1,962 to 1,907 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 149 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,052 to #14,903.
FAQ
Linke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Linke?
Name Census estimates that about 2,187 living Americans carry the surname Linke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,724 residents.
How common is Linke?
Linke ranks #14,903 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,907 people with the surname Linke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,187), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Linke.
Has Linke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Linke went from 1,962 recorded bearers to 1,907. That is a decrease of 55 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,052 to #14,903.
What does the Census say about the background of Linke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Linke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Linke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,736 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Linke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Linke (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Linke mean?
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "linc," meaning "left-handed" or "crooked." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Linke (0.64 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Linke?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Linke on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.