2000
#13,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,017
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Manke
A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "manc," meaning "lame" or "crippled."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,168 Americans carry the last name Manke. That puts it at #15,001 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,097 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Manke 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 158,097
Census rank
#15,001
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,891 bearers of the surname Manke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15001st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Manke, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Manke
The surname Manke is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to derive from the Middle Low German word "manke," which means "defective" or "lacking." This suggests that the name may have originated as a nickname for someone with a physical disability or impairment.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Manke can be found in the German city of Cologne in the late 15th century. In 1487, a man named Johann Manke was listed in the city's tax records. The name also appears in various church records and legal documents from the region during this time period.
In the 16th century, the name Manke began to spread to other parts of Germany, particularly in the northern regions. One notable bearer of the name was Hans Manke, a merchant and ship owner who was born in Rostock in 1532. He played a significant role in the city's maritime trade and was involved in the establishment of several trade routes.
As the name spread across Germany, it also underwent some variations in spelling, such as Mancke and Manck. These variations were often due to regional dialects and the preferences of individual scribes or record keepers.
In the 17th century, the name Manke can be found in various records from the German states of Prussia and Saxony. One notable figure from this time was Peter Manke, a Protestant theologian and author born in Saxony in 1623. He wrote several influential works on religious topics and served as a pastor in several churches throughout his life.
Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Manke, a German composer and organist who lived from 1677 to 1742. He was particularly renowned for his work in the field of church music and composed numerous pieces for organ and choir.
As the centuries progressed, the Manke surname continued to be found throughout Germany and occasionally in neighboring countries such as Poland and the Netherlands, where German immigrants had settled. However, it remained relatively uncommon compared to some other German surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Manke
Among Census respondents with the surname Manke, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Manke 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 Manke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 1,701
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 70
- Two or more races3.6% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 30
- Black or African American0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Manke
Manke 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
#15,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,966
-51 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,249 places
2020
#15,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,891
-75 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,771 | 2,017 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,020 | 1,966 | 0.67 | -51 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 1,249 places |
| 2020 | #15,001 | 1,891 | 0.63 | -75 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 19 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 Manke 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 | #15,020 | #15,001 | 0.1% |
| Count | 1,966 | 1,891 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.63 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Manke bearers went from 1,966 to 1,891 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,020 to #15,001.
FAQ
Manke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Manke?
Name Census estimates that about 2,168 living Americans carry the surname Manke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,097 residents.
How common is Manke?
Manke ranks #15,001 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,891 people with the surname Manke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,168), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Manke.
Has Manke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Manke went from 1,966 recorded bearers to 1,891. That is a decrease of 75 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,020 to #15,001.
What does the Census say about the background of Manke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Manke, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Manke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,701 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Manke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Manke (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 Manke mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "manc," meaning "lame" or "crippled." 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 Manke (0.63 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 many people have the surname Manke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.