2000
#6,277
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,000
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.85
Rare Last name
Radke
A surname of German and Slavic origin, derived from a shortened form of the given name Radoslav or Radoslaw.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,657 Americans carry the last name Radke. That puts it at #6,592 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,589 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Radke 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
5.7K
1 in 60,589
Census rank
#6,592
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,933 bearers of the surname Radke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6592nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Radke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Radke
Among Census respondents with the surname Radke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Radke 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 Radke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 4,507
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 192
- Two or more races3.1% · 151
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 48
- Black or African American0.4% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Radke
Radke 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
#6,777
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,976
-24 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Down 500 places
2020
#6,592
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,933
-43 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Up 185 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,277 | 5,000 | 1.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,777 | 4,976 | 1.69 | -24 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 500 places |
| 2020 | #6,592 | 4,933 | 1.65 | -43 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 185 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 Radke 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 | #6,777 | #6,592 | 2.7% |
| Count | 4,976 | 4,933 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.69 | 1.65 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Radke bearers went from 4,976 to 4,933 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 185 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,777 to #6,592.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Radke
FAQ
Radke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Radke?
Name Census estimates that about 5,657 living Americans carry the surname Radke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,589 residents.
How common is Radke?
Radke ranks #6,592 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,933 people with the surname Radke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,657), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Radke.
Has Radke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Radke went from 4,976 recorded bearers to 4,933. That is a decrease of 43 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,777 to #6,592.
What does the Census say about the background of Radke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Radke, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Radke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (4,507 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Radke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Radke (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 Radke mean?
A surname of German and Slavic origin, derived from a shortened form of the given name Radoslav or Radoslaw. 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 Radke (1.65 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 Radke?
You can see how many people are called Radke on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.