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Balke Family History

Balke Name Meaning

German: variant of Balk Norwegian: habitational name from a farmstead named Balke from Old Norse balkr ‘beam’ used in the sense ‘ridge’.

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


Similar surnames: Balk, Bakke, Balle, Bake, Belke, Backe, Walke, Halle, Balfe, Alme

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Balke family from?

You can see how Balke families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Balke family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Balke families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 46 Balke families living in Missouri. This was about 21% of all the recorded Balke's in USA. Missouri had the highest population of Balke families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Balke 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 Balke ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Balke. 29% of Balke men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Balke women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Balke were Clerk and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Balke | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    29%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Carpenter
    6%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    12%
  • Maid
    10%
  • Waitress
    9%
  • Teacher
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Balke family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Balke. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Balke census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Balke

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Balke. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Balke immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Balke. For the veterans among your Balke ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Balke military records

You've only scratched the surface of Balke family history

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What is the average Balke lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Balke life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Balke in 1944 was 26, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Balke

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