Find out how popular the last name Acker is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Acker.

Acker, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Acker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Acker in America

Acker is the 3400th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Acker surname appeared 10,519 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Acker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Acker to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Acker

The surname Acker is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word "ackar" or "acker," meaning "cultivated field" or "plowed land." It is an occupational surname that initially referred to someone who worked as a farmer or plowman.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Acker can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. It is believed that the name first emerged as a descriptive term for individuals whose primary occupation was tilling the soil and working on agricultural lands.

In medieval times, the Acker surname appeared in various historical records and documents, such as tax rolls, land deeds, and municipal records. One notable example is the mention of a Johannes Acker in a 14th-century land registry from the town of Nuremberg.

As the name Acker spread across different regions of Germany, it underwent various spelling variations, including Acker, Acker, Ackerr, and Ackermann. These variations often reflected regional dialects and local pronunciation differences.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Acker. One of the earliest recorded was Johann Acker (c. 1480-1548), a German Protestant reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the Reformation movement in Saxony.

Another prominent figure was Franz Acker (1863-1942), a German Catholic priest and philosopher who wrote extensively on topics such as ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. His works, including "Das System der Philosophischen Weltanschauung" (The System of Philosophical Worldview), were widely influential in academic circles.

In the realm of literature, Kathy Acker (1947-1997) was an American avant-garde novelist, essayist, and feminist writer known for her innovative and boundary-pushing works, such as "Blood and Guts in High School" and "Empire of the Senseless."

The Acker surname also has a notable presence in the world of sports. One example is Curt Acker (1892-1966), an American professional baseball player who played as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Browns in the early 20th century.

Another individual of note is Evan Acker (born 1981), a Canadian professional ice hockey player who has played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), including the St. Louis Blues and the Calgary Flames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Acker

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Acker.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Acker was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Acker has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Acker was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Acker, please contact us.

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