Explore the Family Name Wilke
The meaning of Wilke
1. North German and Dutch: from a Low German pet form of Wilhelm. 2. English (Lancashire): variant of Wilk. Some characteristic forenames: German Fritz, Kurt, Otto, Erwin, Arno, Bernd, Gerhard, Siegfried, Wilfried, Wilhelm, Wolfgang, Angelika.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wilke in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Wilke ranked 4,191st in popularity in the year 2000 and fell to 4,386th in 2010, marking a decrease of approximately 4.65%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the surname Wilke increased from 7,841 to 8,106 during the same time period, translating into a rise of 3.38%. The proportion of people per 100,000 with the surname decreased from 2.91 to 2.75, indicating a decline of 5.5%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,191 | #4,386 | -4.65% |
| Count | 7,841 | 8,106 | 3.38% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.91 | 2.75 | -5.5% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wilke
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that there have been some changes between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of those identified as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by around 55%, while those identifying as belonging to two or more races saw an increase of about 34%. The majority of individuals with the surname Wilke self-identified as White, although this group experienced a slight decrease of 1.87% over the decade. The Hispanic group saw a significant increase of roughly 97%, albeit from a relatively low base. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw increases of 20% and 31.88% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.58% | 94.77% | -1.87% |
| Hispanic | 1.01% | 1.99% | 97.03% |
| Two or More Races | 1.02% | 1.37% | 34.31% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.91% | 31.88% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.31% | 0.48% | 54.84% |
| Black | 0.4% | 0.48% | 20% |
Wilke ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Wilke is French & German, which comprises 37.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (30.3%) and Scandinavian (8.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 37.5% |
| British & Irish | 30.3% |
| Scandinavian | 8.6% |
| Other | 23.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Wilke
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Wilke have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 71.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 71.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 71.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 71.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 70.80% |
What Wilke haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Wilke is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z60 and I-L460, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Schrader, Kohler, Moritz, Bohn, Pitt, Birch, Leigh, Muller, Harwood, Fox.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Wilke surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Wilke have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Wilke" Surname 46.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Wilke" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Wilke" Surname 18.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Wilke" Surname 16.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Wilke?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Wilke are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition