Burke (surname)
| Burke |
| Family name |
| Meaning |
"fortified hill" |
| Region of origin |
England, Ireland |
Burke is an English variant of the English and Irish surname originating from the Anglo-Normans. In Old English, the name means "fortified hill". Variants include Bourke, de Burgo, Burgh, and De Burgh. Many Irish and English emigrants to Quebec and other francophone regions of Canada chose to change the spelling of the name to Bourque. Burke is an uncommon given name. Several localities around the world have been named Burke.
Notable people with the surname
- Adrian P. Burke (1904-2000), New York judge
- Alafair Burke, mystery novel writer and Court TV commentator, daughter of James Lee Burke
- Alexandra Burke, winner of the fifth series of British show the X Factor.
- Alvin Burke, Jr., professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment
- Anna Burke, Australian politician
- Arleigh Burke, former Admiral of the United States Navy and Chief of Naval Operations
- Augustus Nicholas Burke, Irish painter
- Sir John Bernard Burke, British genealogist, editor of Burke's Peerage
- Bill Burke (athlete) (born 1969), American middle distance runner
- Brian Burke, Australian politician
- Brian Bourke, Irish Political Theorist noted for his "Red Pride" campaign
- Brian Burke (ice hockey), GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Brian Burke (Wisconsin politician), American politician
- Brooke Burke, actress and model
- Charles Burke (disambiguation)
- Cheryl Burke, professional dancer
- Chris Burke (disambiguation)
- Clem Burke, drummer for the group Blondie
- David Burke (disambiguation)
- Declan Burke, English musician
- Delta Burke, actress
- Dominic Burke (bishop), Bishop of Elphin from 1671 to 1704
- Don Burke, Australian television personality
- Douglas Burke, American water polo player
- Edmund Burke, Anglo-Irish statesman and political philosopher
- Edmund Bourke (1761–1821) (or Burke), Danish statesman
- Edward Burke (disambiguation)
- Elijah Burke, American professional wrestler
- Frank W. Burke, Louisville mayor and U.S. Representative from Kentucky
- Sir Henry Burke, British genealogist, Garter Principal King of Arms
- James Burke (science historian), British author and television producer
- James A. Burke, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts
- James Lee Burke, American author and mystery writer
- Jamie Burke, Major League Baseball catcher for the Seattle Mariners
- Jason Burke, author
- Jimmy Burke (disambiguation)
- Joe Burke (keyboardist) (born 1939), Irish accordion player
- Joe Burke (baseball) (1924-1992), baseball executive
- Joe Burke (composer) (1884-1950), American actor, composer and pianist
- John Burke (disambiguation)
- Joseph Burke (disambiguation)
- Kathy Burke, English actress, comic and theatre director
- Kenneth Burke, American literary theorist and philosopher
- Kevin Burke (musician), Irish fiddler
- Leon Burke III, American musician
- Matt Burke, Australian rugby union footballer
- Mick Burke, English rugby league footballer
- Pat Burke, Irish basketball player
- Patrick Burke (bishop), Bishop of Elphin from 1827 to 1843
- Paul Burke (actor), American actor
- Peter Burke, British historian
- Raymond Burke (clarinetist), New Orleans jazz clarinetist
- Raymond Leo Burke, U.S. Catholic prelate, former Archbishop of St. Louis
- Robert O'Hara Burke, Australian explorer
- Séamus Burke, Irish politician
- Sean Burke, NHL goalie for the Los Angeles Kings
- Solomon Burke, soul singer ("Everybody Needs Somebody to Love")
- Sonny Burke (1914-1980), American musician
- Terry Burke, Australian politician
- Thomas Burke (disambiguation)
- Tom Burke (disambiguation)
- Tony Burke, Australian politician
- William Burke, one of the two West Port murderers
- William H. Burke, American college football coach
- William J. Burke (1862-1925), English-born American politician and businessman
- William L. Burke (1941–1996), American college professor
Fictional characters
- Burke, a character from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
- Burke, the antihero protagonist of the Burke Series of novels by Andrew Vachss
- Amos Burke, main character in Burke's Law
- Clyde Burke, a newspaper reporter and one of the agents of The Shadow.
- Preston Burke, a character on Grey's Anatomy
- Juliet Burke, a character from the TV series Lost
- Peter Burke, a character from the TV series White Collar
- Leslie Burke, a character from Bridge to Terabithia
- Carter J. Burke, a character from the 1986 film Aliens
- Robert Burke, a hunter and dinosaur expert in the film The Lost World: Jurassic Park
- Walter Burke, a character, played by Al Pacino in "The Recruit"
- Officer Thomas Burke, a character, played by Michael Landes in "Final Destination 2"
See also
References