2000
#5,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,047
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.24
Rare Last name
Radtke
A German occupational surname referring to a wheelwright or cartwright, derived from the Middle High German word "rat".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,634 Americans carry the last name Radtke. That puts it at #5,773 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,666 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Radtke 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
6.6K
1 in 51,666
Census rank
#5,773
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,785 bearers of the surname Radtke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5773rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Radtke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Radtke
The surname Radtke originated in Germany and is derived from the German words "rat" meaning "counsel" and "ke" which is a diminutive suffix. It likely referred to someone who provided advice or counsel in some capacity.
The name can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, including Prussia and Saxony. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in a document from the town of Görlitz in 1385, which mentions a "Hans Radtke."
During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings such as Radeke, Radeke, and Radegke, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in scribal practices of the time. It was also sometimes associated with place names like Radkersburg in Austria.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this name was Matthias Radtke, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1492 to 1562. He played a role in the Protestant Reformation and served as a minister in several cities, including Frankfurt and Magdeburg.
Another historical figure with this surname was Johann Georg Radtke, a German composer and organist who lived from 1597 to 1662. He held positions at various churches in Germany and composed works for organ and choir.
In the 18th century, Johann Gottfried Radtke (1717-1789) was a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities in Prussia.
In the 19th century, Karl Radtke (1805-1892) was a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and cityscapes depicting scenes from Berlin and other parts of Germany.
Another notable individual with this surname was Otto Radtke (1868-1938), a German engineer and inventor who played a significant role in the development of early automobiles and engines.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Radtke who have left their mark on various fields throughout history, reflecting the rich and diverse heritage associated with this German name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Radtke
Among Census respondents with the surname Radtke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Radtke 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 Radtke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 5,391
- Two or more races3.2% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 132
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 20
- Black or African American0.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Radtke
Radtke 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
#5,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,099
+52 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 2.07
Rank movement Down 385 places
2020
#5,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,785
-314 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 89 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,299 | 6,047 | 2.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,684 | 6,099 | 2.07 | +52 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 385 places |
| 2020 | #5,773 | 5,785 | 1.94 | -314 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 89 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 Radtke 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 | #5,684 | #5,773 | -1.6% |
| Count | 6,099 | 5,785 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.07 | 1.94 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Radtke bearers went from 6,099 to 5,785 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 89 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,684 to #5,773.
FAQ
Radtke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Radtke?
Name Census estimates that about 6,634 living Americans carry the surname Radtke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,666 residents.
How common is Radtke?
Radtke ranks #5,773 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.94 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 5,785 people with the surname Radtke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,634), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.94 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 Radtke.
Has Radtke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Radtke went from 6,099 recorded bearers to 5,785. That is a decrease of 314 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,684 to #5,773.
What does the Census say about the background of Radtke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Radtke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Radtke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (5,391 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Radtke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Radtke (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 Radtke mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a wheelwright or cartwright, derived from the Middle High German word "rat". 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 Radtke (1.94 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 are called Radtke?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Radtke on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.