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

Oelke, 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 Oelke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oelke in America

Oelke is the 27534th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oelke surname appeared 875 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 Oelke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oelke 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 Oelke

The surname Oelke has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the region of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name dates back to the 16th century, where it appears in various municipal records and church registers.

The name Oelke is believed to be derived from the Germanic root word "olc," which means "elk" or "stag." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near a place where elks or stags were commonly found or someone who had a particular association with these animals.

In some historical records, the name is also spelled as "Ölke" or "Oelcke," indicating slight variations in its orthography over time. These variations were not uncommon in the past, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet firmly established.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Oelke was Hans Oelke, a farmer who lived in the village of Lüneburg, Lower Saxony, in the late 16th century. Records show that he owned a modest plot of land and was involved in agricultural activities.

Another notable figure was Johann Oelke, a blacksmith born in 1672 in the town of Celle, Lower Saxony. His metalworking skills were highly regarded, and he is mentioned in several guild records from that period.

In the 18th century, the name Oelke appears in church records from the town of Hannover, where a family by the name of Oelke was recorded as residing in the parish of St. Georgen. One of the family members, Friedrich Oelke (1743-1817), was a respected local tradesman and merchant.

Moving into the 19th century, Carl Oelke (1806-1879) was a prominent educator and author from the city of Hamburg. He wrote several books on pedagogy and educational philosophy, which were widely read and influential in his time.

Another notable figure was Wilhelm Oelke (1860-1932), a German explorer and naturalist who participated in several expeditions to South America and Africa. He is known for his detailed accounts of the flora and fauna he encountered during his travels, as well as his advocacy for nature conservation.

These examples illustrate the long history and geographical spread of the surname Oelke, which has its roots in the northern German region but has since been carried by individuals across various professions and locations over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oelke

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

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

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

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