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

Zielke, 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 Zielke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zielke in America

Zielke is the 14549th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zielke surname appeared 2,048 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Zielke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zielke 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 Zielke

The surname ZIELKE is of German origin and is believed to have originated in the region of Brandenburg, Prussia (now part of modern-day Germany) during the 16th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "ziele," meaning "goal" or "target," and may have originally referred to an occupation or a descriptive nickname for someone who was skilled at archery or hunting.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the ZIELKE name can be found in the records of the town of Neuruppin, Brandenburg, where a certain Hans Zielke was mentioned in a document dated 1587. Another early reference is from the neighboring town of Wittstock, where a Wilhelm Zielke was listed in a census record from 1612.

In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, with records showing ZIELKE families in the regions of Saxony and Mecklenburg. During this time, variations in spelling were common, with the name sometimes appearing as Zielcke, Zielke, or Zielken.

One notable bearer of the ZIELKE name was Johann Georg Zielke (1679-1747), a German philosopher and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg. Another was Carl Friedrich Zielke (1760-1825), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Iron Cross for his service.

In the 19th century, the ZIELKE surname began to appear in records outside of Germany, as families emigrated to other parts of Europe and to the Americas. One such individual was Heinrich Zielke (1818-1892), a German immigrant who settled in Wisconsin, United States, and became a successful farmer and landowner.

Another notable bearer of the ZIELKE name was Gustav Zielke (1857-1924), a German architect and urban planner who was influential in the development of modern city planning principles. He designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other German cities.

As the centuries passed, the ZIELKE name continued to spread across Germany and beyond, with bearers of the surname making contributions in various fields, including academia, the military, and the arts. While the name may have evolved from humble beginnings, it has become a part of the rich tapestry of German and European cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zielke

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

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

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

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