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Bourke Family History

Bourke Surname Meaning

Irish: variant of Burke. Americanized form of French Bourg or of its altered form Bourque.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Bourke family from?

You can see how Bourke families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bourke family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bourke families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 196 Bourke families living in Lancashire. This was about 40% of all the recorded Bourke's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Bourke families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bourke surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Bourke ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bourke. 27% of Bourke men worked as a General Labourer and 63% of Bourke women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bourke were Carpenter and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Bourke | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    27%
  • Medical Practitioner
    14%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    63%
  • Private Means
    8%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

What Bourke family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 111,000 census records available for the last name Bourke. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bourke census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bourke

Passenger Lists

There are 18,000 immigration records available for the last name Bourke. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bourke immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Bourke. For the veterans among your Bourke ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bourke military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bourke family history

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What is the average Bourke lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Bourke life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Bourke in 1946 was 39, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bourke

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bourke ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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