Wilke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Wilke family
The surname Wilke was first found in West Prussia and Pomerelia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families in the western region. From the 13th century onwards the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.
Early History of the Wilke family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilke research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1700, 1755 and 1882 are included under the topic Early Wilke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Wilke Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Yilek, Wilk, Wielecki, Wielicki, Wielewicki, Wieliczko, Wielk, Wilczek, Welczek, Wilke and many more.
Early Notables of the Wilke family
More information is included under the topic Early Wilke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Wilke Ranking
In the United States, the name Wilke is the 4,296th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1
Wilke migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Wilke Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Rudolph Wilke, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1727 2
Wilke Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Franz Adolph Wilke, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1800 2
- Bernh Heinr Wilke, who landed in America in 1838 2
- Heinrich Wilke, who landed in America in 1839 2
- Karoline Friderike Wilke, aged 36, who arrived in America in 1843 2
- Herman Wilke, who landed in Texas in 1844 2
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Wilke Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Amelia Wilke, who settled in Montana in 1910
- Adam Edward Wilke, who arrived in North Dakota in 1917
Wilke migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Wilke Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
- Thomas Wilke, who arrived in Canada in 1905
Wilke migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Wilke Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. David Wilke, (b. 1956), aged 20, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Pomona" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1876 3
Contemporary Notables of the name Wilke (post 1700) +
- Robert J. Wilke (1914-1989), American Golden Boot Award winning film and television actor who appeared in 299 titles, known primarily for his roles as villains in Westerns
- Julius August Robert Wilke (1860-1914), American sailor during the Spanish–American War who received the Medal of Honor
- Hannah Wilke (1940-1993), born Arlene Hannah Butter, an American painter, sculptor, photographer and video artist
- Rudolf Wilke (1873-1908), German caricaturist and illustrator
- Christian Gottlob Wilke (1786-1854), German theologian
- Kristof Wilke (b. 1985), German four-time gold and two-time silver medalist rower
- Birthe Wilke (b. 1936), popular Danish singer of the 1950s
Historic Events for the Wilke family +
Bismarck
- Oskar Wilke (1915-1941), German Feuerwerksmaat who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 4
- Erich Wilke (1915-1941), German Bootsmaat who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 4
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details