The Belk surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,886 people carried this name — #5,085 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 42,900 people counted. That is up 16% from 5,914 in 2000.

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In Switzerland’s population statistics

54 people named Belk live in Switzerland.

They live in 6 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Fribourg.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Fribourg 15
Vaud 13
St. Gallen 9
Zurich 8
Bern 6
Schwyz 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In print

Belk in American newspapers,
1910–1927.

Newspaper page from The Times Dispatch carrying the name Belk
The Times Dispatch 1910-11-25
Newspaper page from The St. Joseph Observer carrying the name Belk
The St. Joseph Observer 1921-11-12
Newspaper page from Douglas Daily Dispatch carrying the name Belk
Douglas Daily Dispatch 1927-08-18

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 27,713 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Belk in Australian newspapers,
1870s–1980s.

184 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Belk. The most, 32, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 79
Queensland 39
Victoria 29
South Australia 16
Tasmania 8
Western Australia 8
ACT (Canberra) 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Belk.

Who carried it

People named Belk,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Thomas Belk 1837–1901 · lawyer
  • William Belk 1849–1898
  • John M. Belk 1920–2007 · politician
  • John Blanton Belk 1925– · chairperson
  • Rocky Belk 1960–2010 · American football player

Wikidata (CC0) · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Belk,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States307 records

307 records of the Belk name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 187
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 67
  • Other U.S. records 53
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Barney H. Belk

    Born 1919 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Bragg; carpenter from Union County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Lakeland Memorial Park, Monroe, North Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henriette Belk

    Arrived at New York in 1867 aboard the Jupiter from Bremen and Bremerhaven, aged 25; tourist. From Prussia, Germany; bound for Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Earl N. Belk

    U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War. Born 1936, died 2000; buried at Fairhaven Memorial Park, Santa Ana, California.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 307 records for Belk in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Germany23 records

23 records of the Belk name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Gustav Belk

    From Leba. Reported taken prisoner in the Prussian casualty list of 3 July 1916; then listed as returned from captivity in the list of 13 June 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Willi Belk

    From Kesselstadt, Hanau a. M. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 10 May 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 2 of 23 records for Belk in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Australia12 records

12 records of the Belk name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 9
  • Tasmanian Names Index 2
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Sarah A. Belk

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Planter, aged 29; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Charles Belk

    Gentleman of England; died 1904.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record George T. Belk

    Left Launceston in 1850 aboard the Alice, bound for Melbourne, as a seaman.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Belk in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Netherlands8 records

8 records of the Belk name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 6
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Machiel Belk

    Died 1933 in Zaandijk, aged 38.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johan Georg Belk

    Married in 1796 in Groningen.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Willem Belk

    In the population register of Zaandam; born 1848 in Zaandijk.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Zaanstad (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Belk in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand5 records

5 records of the Belk name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 4
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Ellen Belk

    Buried in 1984 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 91.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Douglas Hubert Belk

    Died 1980, aged 43; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Belk

    Buried in 1981 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 66.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Belk in New Zealand.

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France4 records

4 records of the Belk name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Elisabeth Louise Arlette Belk

    Born 1950 in Auby; died 1998 in Lille (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Gitla Rudla Belk

    Born 1906 in Poland; died 1942 in Poland.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record May Edmee Belk

    Born 1932 in Switzerland; died 1999 in Annecy (Haute-Savoie).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Belk in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Canada2 records

2 records of the Belk name in Canada City of Calgary cemetery records
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Joe Fred Belk

    Buried in 1971 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 56.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Doris Jean Belk

    Buried in 1999 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 81.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Belk name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Belk

    Pioneer, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. G. Belk

    Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Belk.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Belk is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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