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

Radke, 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 Radke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Radke in America

Radke is the 6777th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Radke surname appeared 4,976 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Radke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Radke 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 Radke

The surname Radke is of Germanic origin, specifically from the German region of Prussia. Its origins can be traced back to the 15th century. The name is derived from the old German word "rad," meaning "wheel," and may have been an occupational name for a wheelwright or a person involved in the production or repair of wheels.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Radke can be found in the church records of the town of Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia), dating back to the late 16th century. There are also references to individuals with the surname Radke in the tax records of the Duchy of Prussia from the early 17th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Radke family spread across various regions of Prussia, with branches emerging in cities like Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) and Thorn (now Toruń, Poland). The name also appeared in the Prussian census records of the late 18th century, indicating its presence in various towns and villages across the region.

Notable individuals with the surname Radke throughout history include Johann Radke (1588-1647), a Lutheran pastor and theologian from Königsberg, who authored several religious texts during the Reformation era. Another notable figure was Gottfried Radke (1765-1832), a Prussian military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and received honors for his service.

In the 19th century, the Radke surname can be found in various records from the German states, including the Kingdom of Prussia and the Grand Duchy of Baden. One notable bearer of the name was Emil Radke (1841-1917), a German writer and journalist who published several works on literature and cultural topics.

Another significant figure was Karl Radke (1888-1952), a German architect and urban planner who worked on several notable projects in Berlin and other cities during the early 20th century. He was recognized for his contributions to modern urban design and urban renewal efforts in Germany.

As the Radke family migrated and settled in different parts of Europe and beyond, the surname underwent minor variations in spelling, such as Radtke, Radtken, and Ratke. These variations were often regional or based on local dialects, but they all shared the common root and meaning related to the word "rad" or "wheel."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Radke

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

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

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

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