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

Rourk, 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 Rourk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rourk in America

Rourk is the 37125th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rourk surname appeared 601 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 Rourk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rourk 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 Rourk

The surname Rourk is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Ruairc", which means "descendant of Ruarc". The name Ruarc is believed to have derived from the Irish word "ruadh", meaning red or reddish-brown, referring to the hair color of the original bearer.

The name can be traced back to the 11th century in Ireland, where the O'Rourkes were a powerful family and one of the principal septs of Connacht. They ruled over the territory of West Breifne, which covered parts of modern-day counties Leitrim and Cavan. The O'Rourkes were involved in many battles and conflicts with neighboring clans, such as the O'Connors and the O'Reillys.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In 1171, the Annals mention the death of Tighernan O'Rourke, the King of Breifne. The name also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, another important source of Irish history, which documents the exploits of various O'Rourke chieftains throughout the centuries.

Over time, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Rorke, Rourke, Rourque, and Roarke. In some instances, the prefix "O'" was dropped, leading to the modern spelling of "Rourk".

Notable individuals with the surname Rourk include:

1. Loughlin O'Rourke (fl. 1367), an Irish chieftain and Lord of West Breifne.
2. Tiernan O'Rourke (fl. 1481), an Irish chieftain and Lord of West Breifne, known for his resistance against English rule in Ireland.
3. Brian O'Rourke (c. 1495 - c. 1562), an Irish chieftain and Lord of West Breifne, who fought against the Tudor conquest of Ireland.
4. John Rourke (1776 - 1834), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
5. John Rourke (1892 - 1967), an Irish-American actor and film director, known for his work in Hollywood during the silent film era.

The name Rourk has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Rourke's Castle in County Leitrim, which was once the stronghold of the O'Rourke clan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rourk

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

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

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

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