Boy · #8,115 in 2026

Balke

Name: Popularity of the name Balke in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Balke, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Balke is a surname. People with the surname Balke include:Jasper Balke, German politician Jon Balke, Norwegian jazz pianist and composer Peder Balke (1804–1887), Norwegian painter Siegfried Balke (1902–1984), German politician Turid Balke (1921–2000), Norwegian actress, playwright, and artist

Current Rank

#8,115

Peak Rank

#5,926 (1986)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1982

First Year

1990

Last Year

1986

Peak Year

#5926

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Balke

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Balke

Balke first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1982, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1986, when 6 Balkes were born — ranking #5,926 that year. As of 2026, Balke ranks #8,115 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 21 Balkes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Balke

Phonetically similar names — useful when Balke is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Bulk
Balk
Balck
Bilk
Belk
Balc
Bolk
Bolc
Boehlke
Beilke
Belc
Bake

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Balke

What does the name Balke mean?

How popular is Balke in 2026?

In 2026, Balke ranks #8,115 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Balke most popular?

Balke reached its peak popularity in 1986, ranking #5,926 that year with 6 babies given the name.

Is Balke a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Balke is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Balke?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Balke include Claudel, Courtlandt, Timohy. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Balke

Balke is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1982 and has accumulated 21 births in the dataset. Balke's peak popularity came in 1986 when it ranked #5,926. Use the chart and map above to compare Balke's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.