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Birke Family History

Birke Surname Meaning

North German: variant of Birk. Compare Birkey. Germanized form of Sorbian Běrk (see Berk) or of its cognate Běrka (see Berka). Compare Birkey.

Perhaps a shortened form of any of various Danish and Norwegian surnames beginning with Birke-, for example Birkeland and Birkelund (‘birch grove’).

Swedish: ornamental name derived from birk ‘birch’.

Ethiopian: from the personal name Birke, which is interpreted as ‘my precious’ in the Amharic language.

— Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Birke family from?

You can see how Birke families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Birke family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Birke families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there was 1 Birke family living in New York. This was 100% of all the recorded Birke's in USA. New York had the highest population of Birke families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Birke surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Birke ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Salesman and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Birke. 25% of Birke men worked as a Salesman and 31% of Birke women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Birke were Farm Laborer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Birke | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Salesman
    25%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Farm Laborer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    31%
  • Bookkeeper
    24%
  • Steno
    16%
  • Housewife
    16%

What Birke family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Birke. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Birke census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Birke

Passenger Lists

There are 882 immigration records available for the last name Birke. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Birke immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 877 military records available for the last name Birke. For the veterans among your Birke ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Birke military records

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