2000
#48,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 413
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Bockrath
A locational surname indicating someone who lived near a billy goat ranch or enclosure.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 583 Americans carry the last name Bockrath. That puts it at #45,381 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 587,915 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bockrath 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
583
1 in 587,915
Census rank
#45,381
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
508
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 508 bearers of the surname Bockrath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45381st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bockrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bockrath
The surname Bockrath is of German origin, specifically from the region of Bavaria. It is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, around the 15th or 16th century. The name is derived from the German words "Bock," which means "buck" or "male goat," and "Rath," which can refer to either a council or a piece of advice.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bockrath can be found in a 16th-century manuscript from the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Johann Bockrath is mentioned as a landowner. Another early reference is found in a 17th-century church record from the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which lists a family with the surname Bockrath.
In the 18th century, the name Bockrath appears in several documents related to the city of Munich. For instance, a merchant named Georg Bockrath is recorded as having lived in the city during this time. Additionally, a Johann Bockrath is mentioned as a member of the local guild of bakers.
One notable bearer of the Bockrath surname was Wilhelm Bockrath, a German philosopher and educator who lived from 1801 to 1878. He was a professor at the University of Berlin and wrote several influential works on educational theory.
Another significant figure with this surname was Anna Bockrath, a German painter and illustrator who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was known for her intricate botanical illustrations and her work was featured in several prestigious publications of the time.
In the 20th century, a man named Franz Bockrath gained recognition as a skilled woodcarver and sculptor. He lived from 1892 to 1974 and his works can be found in various museums and galleries throughout Germany.
It is also worth mentioning that the village of Bockrath, located in the Bavarian region of Franconia, likely derived its name from the surname itself, rather than the other way around. This village has existed since at least the 16th century and was likely named after one of the earliest families to settle in the area.
Overall, the surname Bockrath has a rich history and can be traced back to its German origins in the medieval period. Despite its relatively uncommon nature, it has been borne by several notable individuals throughout the centuries, ranging from scholars and artists to craftsmen and landowners.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bockrath
Among Census respondents with the surname Bockrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bockrath 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 Bockrath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 466
- Two or more races3.3% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bockrath
Bockrath 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
#44,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 488
+75 bearers (+18.2%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 4,000 places
2020
#45,381
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 508
+20 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 1,272 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #48,109 | 413 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,109 | 488 | 0.17 | +75 bearers (+18.2%) | Up 4,000 places |
| 2020 | #45,381 | 508 | 0.17 | +20 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 1,272 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 Bockrath 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 | #44,109 | #45,381 | -2.9% |
| Count | 488 | 508 | 4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.17 | -0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bockrath bearers went from 488 to 508 (+4.1% change). The surname moved down 1,272 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,109 to #45,381.
FAQ
Bockrath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bockrath?
Name Census estimates that about 583 living Americans carry the surname Bockrath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 587,915 residents.
How common is Bockrath?
Bockrath ranks #45,381 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 508 people with the surname Bockrath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (583), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Bockrath.
Has Bockrath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bockrath went from 488 recorded bearers to 508. That is an increase of 20 (+4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #44,109 to #45,381.
What does the Census say about the background of Bockrath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bockrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Bockrath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (466 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bockrath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Bockrath (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 Bockrath mean?
A locational surname indicating someone who lived near a billy goat ranch or enclosure. 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 Bockrath (0.17 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 Bockrath?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.