Borchert
A German occupational surname referring to a person who worked with wood, such as a carpenter or woodcutter.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,188 Americans carry the last name Borchert. That puts it at #11,516 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,514 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Borchert surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
3.2K
1 in 107,514
Census rank
#11,516
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,731 bearers of the surname Borchert in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11516th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Borchert, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Borchert
The surname Borchert is of German origin, first appearing in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German words "borh" meaning hill or small mountain, and "hart" meaning hardy or brave. As such, the name Borchert would have initially referred to someone who lived near a hill or small mountain and was hardy or brave in character.
The earliest records of the name Borchert can be found in the town of Borchen in the Paderborn region of what is now North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In 1258, a document from the Abdinghof monastery in Paderborn mentions a "Hermannus de Borchten", likely an early bearer of the surname.
By the 15th century, variations of the name such as Borchert, Borcherd, and Borchart had spread to other areas of Germany, including Saxony and Brandenburg. The 1497 census records of the town of Halle, Saxony list a "Hans Borchert" among its residents.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Johannes Borchert, a Protestant theologian and reformer born in Mühlhausen, Thuringia in 1585. He was a prominent figure in the early years of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
Another notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Borchert, a German composer and organist who lived from 1698 to 1761. He served as the organist at the Marienkirche in Lübeck and composed numerous works for organ and choir.
In the 19th century, the Borchert surname became associated with the city of Hamburg, where several prominent families bearing the name resided. Johann Borchert, born in 1817, was a successful merchant and shipowner in the city.
Wolfgang Borchert, a German author and playwright, was one of the most famous bearers of the surname in the 20th century. Born in 1921 in Hamburg, he is best known for his works depicting the struggles of post-World War II Germany, such as the play "Draußen vor der Tür" (Outside the Door).
Another individual of note was Hans-Joachim Borchert, a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union party, who served as the Minister of Finance for West Germany from 1976 to 1978.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Borchert
Among Census respondents with the surname Borchert, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Borchert bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Borchert surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5%
- Hispanic or Latino2.0%
- Two or more races1.4%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5%
- Black or African American0.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Borchert surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,990 | #11,516 | -4.8% |
| Count | 2,655 | 2,731 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.93 | -5.1% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Borchert bearers went from 2,655 to 2,731 (+2.9% change). The surname moved down 526 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,990 to #11,516.
FAQ
Borchert surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Borchert?
The surname Borchert holds position #11,516 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 3,188 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Borchert surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Borchert, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.