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

Welke, 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 Welke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Welke in America

Welke is the 22944th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Welke surname appeared 1,115 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 Welke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Welke 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 Welke

The surname WELKE originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "wele," which means "well" or "source of water." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a well or spring.

In the late Middle Ages, the name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts from different regions of Germany. One of the earliest mentions of the name was found in a land registry from the town of Quedlinburg, dated 1287, which listed a person named "Henrich Welke."

Interestingly, the name WELKE was also associated with certain place names in Germany. For example, the town of Welkendorf, located in Saxony-Anhalt, was named after the Welke family who once owned land in the area. The name can also be linked to the village of Welkershausen in Thuringia, which is believed to have been founded by a person named Welke.

Some notable individuals who bore the surname WELKE throughout history include:

1. Johannes Welke (1548-1618), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who served as a pastor in Magdeburg.
2. Wilhelm Welke (1781-1868), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.
3. Ernst Welke (1857-1924), a German lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Reichstag (German Parliament) from 1893 to 1898.
4. Anna Welke (1877-1947), a German opera singer and contralto who performed in various opera houses across Europe in the early 20th century.
5. Otto Welke (1892-1975), a German military officer who served in both World Wars and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

While the surname WELKE may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in Germany, where it was closely tied to the geography and settlements of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Welke

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

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

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

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