Explore the Family Name Berka
The meaning of Berka
1. German: habitational name from any of several places called Berka, named with ancient Germanic birka ‘birch tree’, notably in Hesse and Thuringia. 2. Czech, Slovak, and Polish: from a pet form of the personal name Bernard. 3. Czech: nickname from berka ‘robber’. 4. Sorbian (Běrka): occupational name for a collector of taxes, a variant of Běrk (see Berk). It is found mainly in Germanized forms, such as Birke. 5. Hungarian: from a pet form of the personal names Bertalan and Bernát, Hungarian forms of Bartholomew and Bernard, respectively.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Berka in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Berka" has seen a dip in popularity over a decade. In 2000, it ranked 39,052 and fell to 50,851 by 2010, marking a decrease of 30.21%. The count for this surname also declined from 531 to 410 during the same period, representing a reduction of almost 23%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #39,052 | #50,851 | -30.21% |
| Count | 531 | 410 | -22.79% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.2 | 0.14 | -30% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Berka
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Berka name, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals interesting patterns. The majority identity remains White, although the percentage has decreased slightly from 95.29% in 2000 to 91.95% in 2010. There have been noticeable increases in the Black and Hispanic identities associated with the Berka surname, growing from 1.51% to 3.90%, and 0.94% to 1.46%, respectively. The proportion of people identifying as two or more races remained relatively steady at around 1.7%. Data for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities was not available or suppressed for privacy.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.29% | 91.95% | -3.51% |
| Black | 1.51% | 3.9% | 158.28% |
| Two or More Races | 1.69% | 1.71% | 1.18% |
| Hispanic | 0.94% | 1.46% | 55.32% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |