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

Talk, 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 Talk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Talk in America

Talk is the 80926th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Talk surname appeared 234 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 Talk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Talk 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 Talk

The surname TALK is of English origin, believed to have emerged in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "talc," meaning "to speak" or "to converse." This surname was likely given to individuals who were known for their talkative nature or perhaps those who worked as town criers or heralds.

The earliest recorded instance of the TALK surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, where a certain William Talc is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292, referring to a Robert le Talc.

In the 13th century, variations of the spelling included Talke, Talck, and Talke. These variations were often used interchangeably and reflected the regional dialects and scribal preferences of the time.

One notable historical figure with the surname TALK was Sir John Talke, a prominent English lawyer and judge who lived during the reign of King Edward III (1312-1377). He served as the Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1347 until his death in 1356.

Another noteworthy individual was William Talke, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Staffordshire, who lived in the 15th century. He is mentioned in several land records and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the endowment of a local church.

In the 16th century, the surname TALK can be found in various records, such as the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Shrewsbury, where a marriage between Thomas Talke and Agnes Browne was recorded in 1572.

During the 17th century, the name TALK was associated with several places in England, including Talke-on-the-Hill and Talke Pits in Staffordshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself or vice versa.

One notable figure from this period was Captain John Talke, an English naval officer who served during the Anglo-Dutch Wars in the late 1600s. He was commended for his bravery and leadership in several naval battles.

As the centuries progressed, the TALK surname spread across England and eventually to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, through immigration and colonial expansion.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Talk

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

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

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

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