2000
#61,376
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 306
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Atcher
An occupational surname derived from the archaic word "acher," meaning a worker in the field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 394 Americans carry the last name Atcher. That puts it at #62,792 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 869,935 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Atcher 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
394
1 in 869,935
Census rank
#62,792
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
344
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 344 bearers of the surname Atcher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 62792nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Atcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Atcher
The surname "ATCHER" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the counties of Somerset and Dorset. It is derived from the Old English word "ætcher," meaning "one who makes arrows or darts." This occupation-based surname suggests that the original bearers were skilled craftsmen involved in the production of archery equipment.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable example is found in the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1273, which mentions a person named Geoffrey Atcher. This document served as a census and survey of landholdings in England during the reign of King Edward I.
Another significant reference to the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327, where a Ralph Atcher is listed as a taxpayer. These records were compiled for the purpose of collecting taxes and provide valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that era.
In the late 14th century, the name is mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Taunton, Somerset. These legal documents from 1385 record a certain John Atcher as a resident of the area.
Over the centuries, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Acher, Achour, and Aychour, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spelling before standardization became more widespread.
Notable individuals bearing the surname "ATCHER" throughout history include:
1. William Atcher (c. 1550-1620), an English landowner and farmer from Dorset.
2. Thomas Atcher (1678-1743), a prominent merchant and ship owner from Bristol, England.
3. Elizabeth Atcher (1726-1804), a renowned author and poet from Somerset.
4. John Atcher (1790-1867), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
5. Samuel Atcher (1822-1898), an influential educator and headmaster of a prestigious school in London.
While the surname "ATCHER" may not have achieved widespread fame or notoriety, its roots can be traced back to the skilled craftsmen who played a vital role in the production of archery equipment during the medieval period in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Atcher
Among Census respondents with the surname Atcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Atcher 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 Atcher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.7% · 288
- Black or African American11.6% · 40
- Two or more races2.9% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Atcher
Atcher 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
#72,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 269
-37 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 10,956 places
2020
#62,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 344
+75 bearers (+27.9%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 9,540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #61,376 | 306 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #72,332 | 269 | 0.09 | -37 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 10,956 places |
| 2020 | #62,792 | 344 | 0.12 | +75 bearers (+27.9%) | Up 9,540 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 Atcher 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 | #72,332 | #62,792 | 13.2% |
| Count | 269 | 344 | 27.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.12 | 27.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Atcher bearers went from 269 to 344 (+27.9% change). The surname moved up 9,540 positions in the national ranking, going from #72,332 to #62,792.
FAQ
Atcher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Atcher?
Name Census estimates that about 394 living Americans carry the surname Atcher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 869,935 residents.
How common is Atcher?
Atcher ranks #62,792 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 344 people with the surname Atcher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (394), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Atcher.
Has Atcher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Atcher went from 269 recorded bearers to 344. That is an increase of 75 (+27.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #72,332 to #62,792.
What does the Census say about the background of Atcher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Atcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Atcher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.7% (288 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Atcher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.7%), Black (11.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Atcher (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 Atcher mean?
An occupational surname derived from the archaic word "acher," meaning a worker in the field. 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 Atcher (0.12 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 have the last name Atcher?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Atcher on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.