UK boy's name
Berke
A masculine Turkish given name of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from Persian.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2013. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Berke is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Berke popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2013 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4685, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 5 births.
This profile covers 30 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 1999 to 2013. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 30 living people in the UK are called Berke. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2014 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Berke ranked #4685 for boys in England and Wales in 2013, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2011, when 5 boys were registered as Berke.
- • About 30 living people in the UK are estimated to have Berke as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4685
2013
Births in 2013
3
Latest year
Peak year
2011
5 births
Estimated living
30
2026
Meaning
What does Berke mean?
The name Berke is of Turkish origin and has its roots in the Turkic languages spoken across a vast region spanning from Central Asia to the Middle East and parts of Europe. The name is believed to have derived from the Old Turkic word "berk," which means strong, solid, or firm.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Berke can be traced back to the 13th century. It was the name of Berke Khan, a prominent ruler of the Golden Horde, a Mongol khanate that ruled over parts of modern-day Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan between the 13th and 15th centuries. Berke Khan, who reigned from 1257 to 1266, played a significant role in the conversion of the Golden Horde to Islam.
In the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over a vast territory encompassing parts of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to the early 20th century, the name Berke was not uncommon. One notable figure who bore this name was Berke Mustafa Pasha, an Ottoman statesman and military commander who lived in the 16th century.
The name Berke has also been associated with prominent figures in various fields throughout history. Berke Karahanoğlu was a celebrated Turkish wrestler and wrestler-turned-actor who lived from 1929 to 2005. Berke Özer, born in 1987, is a renowned Turkish actor and model known for his roles in popular television series.
Another notable individual with the name Berke is Berke Sağlar, a Turkish basketball player who played professionally in Turkey and Europe from the late 1990s to the early 2010s. Berke Bakay, born in 1992, is a Turkish former professional basketball player who represented the Turkish national team.
While the name Berke has its origins in the Turkic languages, it has also been adopted by various other cultures and communities around the world, albeit with varying spellings and pronunciations. However, the essence of the name, which reflects strength and solidity, remains consistent across different regions and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Berke over time
The chart below shows babies named Berke registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 to 2013. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Berke, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2013, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Berke by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Berke was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4221 | 11 | 3 |
| 2000s | #3943 | 16 | 5 |
| 1990s | #2943 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Berke
- Benjamin 90,412
- Ben 36,356
- Bradley 30,230
- Brandon 26,411
- Billy 18,608
- Bobby 16,904
- Blake 16,337
- Bailey 16,014
- Brody 7,230
- Beau 6,722
- Barnaby 5,284
- Brodie 4,801
FAQ
Berke: questions and answers
How popular is the name Berke in the UK right now?
In 2013, Berke was ranked #4685 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Berke most popular?
The peak year on record was 2011, with 5 babies registered as Berke in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Berke?
A masculine Turkish given name of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from Persian.
How many people are called Berke in the UK?
A total of 30 babies have been registered as Berke across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.