2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Astrachan
A surname derived from the Russian city Astrakhan, likely indicating an ancestral connection to the area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Astrachan. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Astrachan 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Astrachan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Astrachan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Astrachan
The surname Astrachan has its origins in Russia, where it first emerged in the 14th century. It is derived from the Russian city of Astrakhan, located in the southern part of the country, near the Caspian Sea. The name of the city itself comes from the Turkic word "isht-rahan," meaning "fish road," reflecting the city's historical importance as a trading hub for fish from the Caspian Sea.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Astrachan can be found in the Velvet Book, a census-like document compiled in the late 15th century during the reign of Ivan III, the Grand Prince of Moscow. The book contains records of various families, including those with the surname Astrachan, indicating their presence in the region at that time.
The name Astrachan gained further prominence in the 16th century when Astrakhan became an important center for the production of a luxurious type of fur known as "Astrakhan" or "karakul." This fur, obtained from the lambs of a specific breed of sheep, was highly prized and became a symbol of wealth and status among the Russian nobility.
One notable figure with the surname Astrachan was Andrey Astrachan (1640-1702), a Russian merchant and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the Russian textile industry. He established several factories and introduced new techniques for dyeing and weaving fabrics, contributing to the economic growth of the region.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Mikhail Astrachan (1780-1845), a Russian military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose through the ranks and became a decorated general, known for his bravery and strategic skills on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, the surname Astrachan gained international recognition through the works of Dmitri Astrachan (1825-1892), a renowned Russian artist and illustrator. His intricate drawings and etchings, often depicting scenes from Russian folklore and daily life, were widely acclaimed and are now part of numerous art collections worldwide.
The name Astrachan also found its way into the literary world with the writer and poet Yelena Astrachan (1876-1941). Her poignant works, which explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, were celebrated during her lifetime and continue to be studied and appreciated by scholars and literature enthusiasts.
Throughout history, the surname Astrachan has been associated with diverse fields, from commerce and industry to the arts and literature, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the region from which it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Astrachan
Among Census respondents with the surname Astrachan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Astrachan 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 Astrachan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Astrachan
Astrachan 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+9 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 675 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-9 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,316 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 675 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 10,316 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 Astrachan 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 | #134,712 | #145,028 | -7.7% |
| Count | 125 | 116 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Astrachan bearers went from 125 to 116 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 10,316 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #145,028.
FAQ
Astrachan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Astrachan?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Astrachan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Astrachan?
Astrachan ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Astrachan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Astrachan.
Has Astrachan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Astrachan went from 125 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Astrachan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Astrachan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Astrachan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Astrachan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Astrachan (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 Astrachan mean?
A surname derived from the Russian city Astrakhan, likely indicating an ancestral connection to the area. 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 Astrachan (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 people are called Astrachan?
If you just want to know how common the surname Astrachan is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.