Burke

For other uses, see Burke (disambiguation).

Burke is an English variant of a surname that is common in England and Ireland which originates with the Cambro-Normans. In Old English, the name means "fortified hill". Variants include Bourke, de Burgo, Burgh, and De Burgh. Burke is an uncommon given name. Several localities around the world have been named Burke (see Burke (disambiguation)). Robert O'Hara Burke along with William John Wills undertook the Burke and Wills expedition to inland Australia in 1860, and discussions of "Burke" usually refer to this event in history.

Names with separate disambiguation pages

Andrew Burke (disambiguation)
Charles Burke (disambiguation)
Chris Burke (disambiguation)
David Burke (disambiguation)
Edward Burke (disambiguation)
Jimmy Burke (disambiguation)
John Burke (disambiguation)
Joseph Burke (disambiguation)
Susan Burke (disambiguation)
Thomas Burke (disambiguation)
Tom Burke (disambiguation)

Miscellaneous

Adrian P. Burke (1904–2000), New York judge
Arleigh Burke, former Admiral of the United States Navy and Chief of Naval Operations
Sir John Bernard Burke, British genealogist, editor of Burke's Peerage
Dominic Burke (bishop), Bishop of Elphin from 1671 to 1704
Sir Henry Farnham Burke, British genealogist, Garter Principal King of Arms
Kenneth Burke, American literary theorist and philosopher
Patrick Burke (bishop), Bishop of Elphin from 1827 to 1843
Peter Burke (disambiguation), British historian
Raymond Leo Burke, U.S. Catholic prelate and Cardinal, former Archbishop of St. Louis
Robert O'Hara Burke, Australian explorer
Walter Burke (purser), (1736–1815) English Sailor, on HMS Victory when Lord Nelson died
William Burke, one of the two West Port murderers
William L. Burke (1941–1996), American college professor

Politics

Anna Burke, Australian politician
Brian Burke, Australian politician
Brian Bourke, Irish Political Theorist noted for his "Red Pride" campaign
Brian Burke (Wisconsin politician), American politician
Edmund Bourke (1761–1821) (or Burke), Danish statesman
Edmund Burke, Anglo-Irish statesman and political philosopher
Frank W. Burke, Louisville mayor and U.S. Representative from Kentucky
James A. Burke (Massachusetts politician), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts
Séamus Burke, Irish politician
Terry Burke, Australian politician
Tony Burke, Australian politician
William J. Burke (1862–1925), English-born American politician and businessman

Arts

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
Augustus Nicholas Burke, Irish painter
Billie Burke, American stage and screen actress
Brooke Burke, actress and model
Cheryl Burke, professional dancer
Clem Burke, drummer for the group Blondie
Declan Burke, English musician
Delta Burke, actress
Don Burke, Australian television personality
Donna Burke, Australian singer
Edwin J. Burke (1889-1944), American screenwriter
James Lee Burke, American author and mystery writer
Jason Burke, author
James Burke (science historian), British author and television producer
Joe Burke (composer) (1884–1950), American actor, composer and pianist
Joe Burke (keyboardist) (born 1939), Irish accordion player
Kathy Burke, English actress, comic and theatre director
Kevin Burke (musician), Irish fiddler
Leon Burke III, American musician
Paul Burke (actor), American actor
Raymond Burke (clarinetist), New Orleans jazz clarinetist
Solomon Burke, soul singer ("Everybody Needs Somebody to Love")
Sonny Burke (1914–1980), American musician
Walter Burke, (1908–1984) American actor

Sports

Alvin Burke, Jr., professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment
Bill Burke (athlete) (born 1969), American middle distance runner
Brian Burke (ice hockey), GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Doug Burke (tennis), Jamaican professional tennis player
Doug Burke (water polo), American Olympic water polo player
Elijah Burke, American professional wrestler
Graham Burke, Irish footballer
Jamie Burke, Major League Baseball catcher for the Seattle Mariners
Joe Burke (baseball) (1924–1992), baseball executive
Lynn Burke (born 1943), American swimmer
Mark Andrew Burke (born 1969), Australian squash player
Matt Burke, Australian rugby union footballer
Mick Burke, English rugby league footballer
Pat Burke, Irish basketball player
Sarah Burke (1982–2012), Canadian freestyle skier
Sean Burke, NHL goalie for the Los Angeles Kings
Trey Burke (born 1992), American basketball player
Walter Burke (hurler), Irish hurler (1981– )
William H. Burke, American college football coach

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, played by Gene Barry
Carter J. Burke, a character from the 1986 film Aliens
Clyde Burke, a newspaper reporter and one of the agents of The Shadow.
Hazel Burke, Shirley Booth's lead character on the NBC/CBS television series, Hazel
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
Preston Burke, a character on Grey's Anatomy
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"
Dr. Richard Burke, Monica's on-again, off-again boyfriend on Friends, played by Tom Selleck

Publications

Burke's Peerage, authoritative index of nobility, first published in 1826 by John Burke
Burke's Landed Gentry