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

Sombke, 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 Sombke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sombke in America

Sombke is the 149395th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sombke surname appeared 110 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 Sombke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sombke 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 Sombke

The surname Sombke is of German origin, originating in the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Sombke," which was a nickname for someone with a sunny or cheerful disposition. The name was likely a descriptive nickname that eventually became a hereditary surname.

In the early days, the name was primarily found in the regions of northern Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. Historical records show various spellings of the name, such as Sombke, Sombeke, and Sombken, reflecting the linguistic variations of the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sombke can be found in the church records of St. Petri in Hamburg, where a certain Hans Sombke was mentioned in 1587. Another notable mention is from the town of Meldorf, where a merchant named Claus Sombke was recorded in 1612.

Some notable individuals bearing the Sombke surname include Johann Sombke (1620-1689), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Lübeck. His son, Hinrich Sombke (1652-1721), was a respected lawyer and held the position of Syndicus, or legal advisor, to the city council of Lübeck.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Sombke family settled in the town of Oldenburg, where they established themselves as successful traders and businessmen. One prominent member was Johann Friedrich Sombke (1756-1832), who served as the mayor of Oldenburg from 1798 to 1821.

Another noteworthy individual was Carl Sombke (1805-1872), a German composer and music teacher from Hamburg. He is best known for his contributions to church music and for his work as a choir director at several prominent churches in the city.

While the name Sombke is relatively uncommon today, it continues to be found in parts of northern Germany, particularly in the regions where it first appeared centuries ago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sombke

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

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

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

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