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

Woelke, 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 Woelke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woelke in America

Woelke is the 63873rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woelke surname appeared 312 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 Woelke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woelke 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 Woelke

The surname Woelke has its origins in Germany, particularly in the northern regions of Prussia. The name is derived from the German word Wolke, which means "cloud." It is likely that the name was originally a nickname for someone who had a light or airy personality, or possibly someone who lived in an area frequently covered by cloud.

In terms of historical references, the surname Woelke does not appear in the oldest existing records like the Domesday Book, which is confined to English names. However, it is found in German records dating back to the medieval period. One of the earliest appearances of a similar spelling can be traced back to the 13th century in ecclesiastical documents from the region of Prussia.

The earliest recorded example of the name Woelke appears in the municipal records of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) in the early 1400s. Johannes Woelke, a noted merchant of Danzig, is mentioned in trade documents dating back to 1432. These records not only serve as proof of the name’s existence but also shed light on the early economic activities in which members of the Woelke family were engaged.

Another notable person bearing the surname Woelke is Theodor Woelke, born in 1797 and died in 1865, who was a distinguished member of the academic community in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia). As a professor of natural sciences, Theodor contributed significantly to the early development of geological studies in the area.

In the 19th century, the name appears again with Alfred Woelke, born in 1825 and passing away in 1890. Alfred was a prominent industrialist in Berlin, known for establishing one of the early steel manufacturing plants that contributed significantly to Germany’s industrial revolution.

Moving into the 20th century, Hans Woelke, born in 1911 and tragically killed during World War II in 1943, was an athlete of international repute. He gained fame as a gold medalist in the shot put event during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, representing Germany.

Another instance of the Woelke surname in historical contexts includes Maria Woelke, a notable social activist born in 1879 and deceased in 1956. Maria played a crucial role in the women’s movement in Germany during the early 20th century, advocating for women's rights and social reforms.

These historical references provide a glimpse into the varied lives and careers of individuals bearing the Woelke surname, illustrating the name's progression through centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woelke

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

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

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

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