Boy · #3,481 in 2026

Burke

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

Burke is a Norman-Irish surname, deriving from the ancient Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh. In Ireland, the descendants of William de Burgh had the surname de Burgh, which was gaelicised in Irish as de Búrca and over the centuries became Búrc, then Burke, and Bourke.

English

Current Rank

#3,481

Peak Rank

#781 (2013)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

-32%

1999

First Year

2023

Last Year

2017

Peak Year

#9939

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Burke

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

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English

The Story of Burke

American parents first put Burke on the record books as a baby boy name in 1881, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2013, when 78 Burkes were born — ranking #1,827 that year. As of 2026, Burke ranks #3,481 for baby boys with 33 births, falling sharply (-32%). All told, over 4K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Burke

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

Berk
Burk
Birk
Bourke
Berke
Brk
Burck
Birc
Berck
Beurk
Birke
Brq

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Burke

What does the name Burke mean?

What is the origin of the name Burke?

Burke has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is Burke in 2026?

In 2026, Burke ranks #3,481 among boys' names in the U.S., with 33 babies given the name that year.

When was Burke most popular?

Burke reached its peak popularity in 2013, ranking #781 that year with 78 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Burke most popular?

Burke has historically been most popular in Utah, Nebraska, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Burke.

Is Burke a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Burke?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Burke include Dixon, Gerrit, Maud. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Burke

Burke is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1881 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Burke's peak popularity came in 2013 when it ranked #781. Use the chart and map above to compare Burke'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.