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

Runk, 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 Runk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Runk in America

Runk is the 19004th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Runk surname appeared 1,434 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 Runk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Runk 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 Runk

The surname RUNK is of German origin and dates back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from the Old German word "runc," meaning "wrinkle" or "crease." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a wrinkled or creased facial feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RUNK surname can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Germany, from the year 1472, where a certain Hans Runk is mentioned as a resident. Another early reference is in the church records of Nuremberg from 1499, which list a Johannes Runk as a baptized infant.

The name appears to have spread from Bavaria to other parts of Germany in the following centuries, with variations in spelling such as Runck, Runcke, and Runke. In some regions, the name may have also been influenced by place names containing the word "runk," such as the village of Runkeln in Hesse.

One notable bearer of the RUNK surname was Johann Runk (1564-1621), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Marburg. Another was Christoph Runk (1611-1681), a Lutheran pastor and writer from Saxony.

In the 18th century, the name is recorded in the baptismal records of the town of Laubach, Hesse, where several children were born to parents with the RUNK surname, including Johannes Runk (1721-1781) and Anna Maria Runk (1732-1801).

As the RUNK family spread across Germany and beyond, the name found its way into other European countries, including the Netherlands, where a notable bearer was Dirk Runk (1798-1872), a Dutch politician and member of the House of Representatives.

Other individuals of historical significance with the RUNK surname include Karl Runk (1857-1925), an Austrian architect and professor, and Ernst Runk (1874-1945), a German artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Runk

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

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

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

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