Bakke

Bakke is a name that functions both as a surname and as a toponym in Nordic regions. In toponymy, Bakke appears in numerous place names across Norway and Denmark, reflecting its use as a geographic descriptor. The term derives from the Old Norse bakkr or bakki, meaning a hill, bank, slope, or incline, and it was commonly applied to farms, villages, and districts situated on or near rising ground.

As a surname, Bakke originated from these place-name forms, indicating that an individual or family came from a location named Bakke. It is most prevalent in Norway and Denmark, and has spread to other countries through migration and diaspora, particularly to North America.

In broader use, the surname Bakke has appeared in international contexts, most notably in legal history. It is associated with the 1978 United States Supreme Court case Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, which addressed questions of affirmative action and admission policies in higher education.

The name is commonly encountered in geographic databases, maps, and address records as a marker of hillside or slope-adjacent places. While the linguistic root remains consistent, specific place names and family lineages bearing Bakke reflect regional naming practices and patterns of settlement across the Nordic world and its descendants.