Burk
A surname usually connected with Burke or Burgh, and sometimes with Germanic names built on the element meaning “fortress” or “protection.”
The #2,352 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,919 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Burk is usually treated as a shortened or variant spelling of Burke, and in English records it can also reflect Burgh or de Burgh. The deeper root is the Germanic burg, meaning “fortress,” “stronghold,” or “protection,” which appears widely in medieval name-forms. In some cases the name may simply be an anglicized spelling used for families otherwise recorded as Burke, Burgh, or related forms.
History
Historical sources show Burk appearing as a spelling variant beside Burke and de Burgh in medieval and later records. Because the spelling was not fixed, the same family line could be written Burk, Burke, or Burgh at different times. The form also appears in modern surname lists as a relatively uncommon variant.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries sometimes list Burk right next to Burke and Burgh, showing how fluid surname spelling could be before standardization.
From the historical record
“PHILADELPHIA: BURK & McFETRIDGE. 1892. VlaM<a^ y0^^'' <-. (( NOV ) u iioui I”
— Family Names from the Irish, Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman and Scotch