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

Valk, 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 Valk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valk in America

Valk is the 28215th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valk surname appeared 848 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 Valk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valk 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 Valk

The surname VALK originated in the Netherlands and is derived from the Dutch word "valk," meaning "falcon." It is believed to have been an occupational surname given to those who worked as falconers or trained falcons for hunting.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Arnoldus Valc, who was mentioned in a document from the city of Utrecht in 1275. Another early reference is found in the Gelderse Leenaktenboeken (Gelderland Fief Books) from 1381, where a man named Jan van Valken is listed.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Valke, Valcke, and Valkenburg, which may have been derived from place names. For example, Valkenburg is a town in the Netherlands known for its historic castle and falconry traditions.

One notable figure with the surname VALK was Claes Jacobsz Valk (1628-1672), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still life and genre paintings. Another was Willem Valk (1798-1859), a Dutch architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Amsterdam, including the Royal Palace on Dam Square.

In the 19th century, the name was borne by Adriaan Valk (1843-1906), a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice in the Netherlands. Gerrit Valk (1875-1937) was a Dutch architect and urban planner who designed several housing projects in Amsterdam.

Another prominent individual was Johannes van der Valk (1887-1963), a Dutch theologian and professor of theology at the University of Amsterdam. He was known for his work on the history of Christianity and the Reformation.

While the surname VALK is most commonly found in the Netherlands, it has also spread to other parts of the world through Dutch migration and settlement. However, its origins can be traced back to the Dutch language and the historical occupation of falconry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valk

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

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

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

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