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Goerke Family History

Goerke Surname Meaning

German (also Görke) is derived from a Slavic-influenced pet form of the personal name Georg (see George).

It is also a habitational name from several places in Pomerania, which are named from the Slavic word gora, meaning ‘mountain’ or ‘hill’.

In addition, Görke serves as a variant of Gerke.

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


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Where is the Goerke family from?

You can see how Goerke families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Goerke family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Goerke families were found in and USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 4 Goerke families living in London. This was about 67% of all the recorded Goerke's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Goerke families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Goerke 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 Goerke ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Goerke. 16% of Goerke men worked as a Farmer and 28% of Goerke women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Goerke were Clerk and Housewife.

View Census Data for Goerke | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    16%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Clerk
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    28%
  • Clerk
    19%
  • Stenographer
    19%
  • Housewife
    19%

What Goerke family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Goerke. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Goerke census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Goerke

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Goerke. 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 Goerke immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Goerke. For the veterans among your Goerke ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Goerke military records

You've only scratched the surface of Goerke family history

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What is the average Goerke lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Goerke life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1964. The average life expectancy for Goerke in 1950 was 48, and 49 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Goerke

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Goerke 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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