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Burke Family History

Burke Surname Meaning

English and Irish (of Anglo-Norman origin): habitational name from Burgh (Castle) in Suffolk England. Burk represents an Anglo-Norman pronunciation of Old English burg Middle English burgh ‘fortification’ (see Burgh).

German: variant of Burk. Americanized form of Norwegian Børke (see Borke).

Americanized form of French Bourg or of its altered form Bourque.

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


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Where is the Burke family from?

You can see how Burke families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Burke family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Burke families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 112 Burke families living in New York. This was about 25% of all the recorded Burke's in USA. New York had the highest population of Burke families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Burke 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 Burke ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Burke. 13% of Burke men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Burke women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Burke were Clerk and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Burke | 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

  • Laborer
    13%
  • Farmer
    8%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    7%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    5%

What Burke family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 794,000 census records available for the last name Burke. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Burke census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Burke

Passenger Lists

There are 150,000 immigration records available for the last name Burke. 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 Burke immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 163,000 military records available for the last name Burke. For the veterans among your Burke ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Burke military records

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