2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Achs
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "water" or "river."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Achs. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Achs surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Achs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Achs, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Achs
The surname ACHS is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "achs," which referred to a ridge or a high ground. This suggests that the name was initially associated with people who lived in areas characterized by elevated terrain or near a prominent ridge.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name ACHS can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Anhalt in central Germany. This document, dated around the 13th century, includes entries referring to individuals with the surname ACHS, indicating their presence in the area during that time.
In the 15th century, the name ACHS appeared in the Stadtbücher von Magdeburg, a series of municipal records from the city of Magdeburg in eastern Germany. These records provide insights into the daily lives and activities of individuals bearing this surname within the urban setting of Magdeburg during that era.
Notably, the name ACHS was associated with several prominent figures throughout history. One such individual was Johann Achs, a German jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1551 to 1612. He served as a professor of law at the University of Heidelberg and made significant contributions to the field of legal studies.
Another notable bearer of the surname ACHS was Friedrich Achs, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1763 to 1838. His works, primarily etchings and engravings, depicted landscapes and architectural scenes, and are highly regarded in the art world.
In the realm of literature, the name ACHS is associated with the German writer and poet Marga Achs, who lived from 1915 to 1997. Her works, which often explored themes of identity and self-discovery, garnered critical acclaim and earned her several literary awards.
The name ACHS has also been linked to various place names and locations throughout Germany. For instance, the village of Achsbach in the state of Bavaria is believed to have derived its name from the Old German word "achs," suggesting a connection to the surname's origins.
It is worth noting that while the surname ACHS has its roots in Germany, it has also been adopted and adapted by individuals in other parts of the world, potentially through migration or cultural exchange. However, the primary historical significance and concentration of this surname remain rooted in the German-speaking regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Achs
Among Census respondents with the surname Achs, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Achs bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Achs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Achs
Achs appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+2 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 6,374 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-17 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,770 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +2 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 6,374 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 16,770 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Achs surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #126,018 | #142,788 | -13.3% |
| Count | 136 | 119 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Achs bearers went from 136 to 119 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 16,770 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #142,788.
FAQ
Achs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Achs?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Achs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Achs?
Achs ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Achs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Achs.
Has Achs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Achs went from 136 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 17 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Achs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Achs, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Achs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Achs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (4.2%), Black (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Achs (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Achs mean?
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "water" or "river." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Achs (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Achs?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Achs is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.