Burke
An Irish surname from Anglo-Norman de Burgh, later hardened in pronunciation and spelling into Burke.
The #246 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,513 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Burke is generally explained as a shortened or hardened form of Burgh, from Anglo-Norman French de Burgh, meaning someone from a fortified place or borough. The older place-name element behind Burgh goes back to a term for a fort or stronghold, related to words for a defended town. In Irish usage, the name became especially associated with the powerful de Burgh family, whose descendants settled in Ireland.
History
Historical sources note that the great Irish Burkes descend from the Anglo-Norman de Burghs, one of whom settled in Ireland after the English conquest. In English records the name appears in varying spellings such as de Burk and Burgh, and the pronunciation seems to have shifted toward Burke over time. It remains a major surname in Ireland and is also common in English-speaking countries more broadly.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Sir Bernard Burke’s famous peerage and landed-gentry references helped make Burke one of the best-known surnames in British genealogical literature.
From the historical record
“Unto Roger BurgojTie, Until the world's rotten." BURKE. A hardened pronunciation of Burgh, and equivalent to Borrowes, &iO. See Burgh. The great Irish family are traced to the Anglo-Norm. De Burghs, one of whom settled in Ireland soon after the acquisition of that country by the English monarchs. The name Alfric de…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Burke
- Edmund Burke (1729–1797)
- Tarana Burke (b. 1973)
- Billie Burke (1884–1970)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.