Given name & surname
Burke
“from the fortress on the hill”
Burke is used as a given name and a surname. One French interpretation is “from the fortress on the hill.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One French interpretation is “from the fortress on the hill.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is French.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Burke through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,188
- 4,118 boys · 70 girls
- Most popular year
- 2014
- 79 babies
- 2025
- 49
- #2,649 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 49 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,649 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 11.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 78 in 2013. In 2025, Minnesota had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,118 as a first name in 2020; 118,342 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Burke’s family of names
Burke has a related form in Berk. Burke has a related form in Burk. Burke has a related form in Berke.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Burke
- Burke ByrnesAmerican actorborn 1937
- Burke JonesAmerican soccer player (1903-1983)
- Burke MosesAmerican actor (born 1959)
- Burke HenryCanadian professional ice hockey defencemanborn 1979
- Burke BadenhopMajor League Baseball pitcher, member of the Milwaukee Brewers organizationborn 1983
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Burke, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Guile is a surname from French, ultimately from German.
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Cruise
Cruise is a surname from Anglo-Norman.
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