The Folk surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,996 people carried this name — #5,778 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 49,300 people counted. That is up 7% from 5,605 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Folk surname

As a German surname, variant of Volk (“people, tribe”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Folk» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Fulk’.

His entry covers Folk, Folkes, Folks and Folke.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 294 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 89 people named Folk live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Entre Ríos.

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

Where they live today

Entre Ríos 47
Buenos Aires Province 29
Santa Fe 13

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 23 people named Folk.

8 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Bas-Rhin.

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

Where they were born

Born outside France 8
Bas-Rhin 6
Haut-Rhin 4
French Guiana 4
Paris 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

129 families named Folk, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 690 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 12 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 61
Virginia 33
North Carolina 23
New York 6
South Carolina 4
Maryland 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 240 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Folk in American newspapers,
1914.

Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Folk
Daily Kennebec Journal 1914-05-21
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Folk
Daily Kennebec Journal 1914-05-20
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Folk
Daily Kennebec Journal 1914-05-28

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 12,184 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Folk in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1980s.

2,965 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Folk. The most, 450, date from the 1880s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,046
Victoria 804
Queensland 642
South Australia 189
Tasmania 168
Western Australia 98
ACT (Canberra) 14
Northern Territory 1

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

Who carried it

People named Folk,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Reau E. Folk
    Reau E. Folk 1865–1948 · businessperson
  • Joseph W. Folk
    Joseph W. Folk 1869–1923 · politician
  • Julia Mona Christian 1894–1983
  • Jaromír Folk 1899–1973 · teacher
  • Jaromír Folk 1899–1972 · teacher
  • Elli Stoi 1902–1994 · illustrator

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Folk,
in the records of 6 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 States614 records

614 records of the Folk name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 210
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 170
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 87
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 77
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 53
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 16
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Paul B. Folk

    Born 1916 in Ohio. Enlisted 1943 at Columbus; factory foreman from Franklin County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1995, buried at Hemlock Grove Cemetery, Pomeroy, Ohio.

    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 Carl Folk

    Arrived at Baltimore in 1891 aboard the Gera from Bremen, aged 26; merchant. From Prussia, Germany; bound for Florida.

    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 Howard Lee Folk

    U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. Born 1931, died 1954; buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

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

Showing 3 of 614 records for Folk in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · 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) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (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).

Netherlands73 records

73 records of the Folk name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 49
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 17
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 7
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Frans Folk

    Married in 1822 in Utrecht. Died 1825 in Utrecht, aged 33.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Johannes Folk

    Born 1858 in Utrecht. Died 1858 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Beerentt Folk

    Buried in 1657 in Arnhem.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 73 records for Folk in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Australia64 records

64 records of the Folk name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 47
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 13
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 2
  • Tasmanian Names Index 2
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John William Folk

    Gentleman of Merrijig, Victoria; died 1999.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henry W. Folk

    Arrived in Victoria in 1879 aboard the Lusitania, aged 23.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Henry William Folk

    Died 1913 in General Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 64 records for Folk in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada7 records

7 records of the Folk name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 5
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Rosina Folk

    Died 1961; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Andrew Folk

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Anne Folk

    Died 1994; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

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

Showing 3 of 7 records for Folk in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

France7 records

7 records of the Folk 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 Louis Xavier Folk

    Born 1920 in Diebolsheim; died 1989 in Sélestat (Bas-Rhin).

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

    Born 1919 in Spain; died 1997 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône).

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

    Born 1947 in Paris; died 1998 in Israel.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Folk 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).

Germany6 records

6 records of the Folk 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 Folk

    From Fitzbeck, Steinburg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 20 July 1915 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 79).

    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 Wilhelm Folk

    From Szittkehnen, Pr. Eylau. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 28 May 1918.

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

    From Neu Heil, Karthaus. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 21 September 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 6 records for Folk 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Folk.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Folk 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.

See the Folk volume
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