2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Arkus
A Hebrew surname derived from the biblical Aramaic word "arkah" meaning "long."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Arkus. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arkus 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Arkus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arkus
The surname Arkus is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Ark," which means "ark" or "chest," possibly referring to an occupation or trade related to the making or handling of these items.
One of the earliest known references to the Arkus name can be found in the parish records of the town of Heilbronn, located in the southwestern region of Germany, where a family by the name of Arkus was recorded in the late 1500s. It's possible that the name may have evolved from an earlier spelling or variation, such as "Arke" or "Arcke."
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Arkus name began to spread across various parts of Germany, with records indicating families bearing this surname in regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia. Some of the earliest known individuals with the Arkus surname include Johann Arkus, a merchant born in Nuremberg in 1612, and Anna Arkus, a midwife from Halle who lived in the early 1700s.
In the 19th century, the Arkus name began to appear in various historical records outside of Germany, including census data and immigration records from countries such as the United States and Canada. This suggests that members of the Arkus family may have emigrated from their homeland during this period, seeking new opportunities or fleeing from political or economic turmoil.
Notable individuals with the Arkus surname throughout history include:
1. Heinrich Arkus (1798-1872), a German philosopher and author from Frankfurt.
2. Wilhelmina Arkus (1824-1901), a German philanthropist and advocate for women's rights.
3. Karl Arkus (1856-1928), a German architect known for his work on several prominent buildings in Berlin.
4. Josef Arkus (1891-1961), an Austrian painter and sculptor whose works were heavily influenced by the Expressionist movement.
5. Gertrude Arkus (1905-1988), a German-born American writer and journalist who documented her experiences during World War II.
While the Arkus name may not be as widespread as some other surnames, its rich history and diverse geographic spread across multiple centuries serve as a testament to the enduring legacy of this Germanic family name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arkus
Among Census respondents with the surname Arkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Arkus 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 Arkus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 97
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arkus
Arkus 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,263 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-15 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,486 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,263 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 14,486 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 Arkus 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 | #136,449 | #150,935 | -10.6% |
| Count | 123 | 108 | -12.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arkus bearers went from 123 to 108 (-12.2% change). The surname moved down 14,486 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #150,935.
FAQ
Arkus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arkus?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Arkus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Arkus?
Arkus ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Arkus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Arkus.
Has Arkus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arkus went from 123 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Arkus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Arkus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arkus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Arkus (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 Arkus mean?
A Hebrew surname derived from the biblical Aramaic word "arkah" meaning "long." 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 Arkus (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 many Americans have the surname Arkus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.