2000
#12,698
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,234
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Burchard
A surname of German origin, derived from the Old High German words "burg" (fortress) and "hart" (strong or brave).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,115 Americans carry the last name Burchard. That puts it at #15,324 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,059 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burchard 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
2.1K
1 in 162,059
Census rank
#15,324
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,844 bearers of the surname Burchard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15324th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burchard
The surname Burchard originates from Germany, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old German words "burg" meaning "fortress" and "hard" meaning "brave" or "hardy." This suggests the name may have been associated with individuals who resided near fortified settlements or those known for their bravery.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burchard can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the 9th century. This manuscript mentions a nobleman named Burchard von Worms, who held significant influence in the region during that era.
In the 11th century, the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, includes references to individuals with the surname Burchard. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its German origins and was present in other parts of Europe by this time.
The name Burchard was particularly prevalent in certain regions of Germany, such as Saxony and Bavaria. Historical records from the 13th century mention Burchard von Querfurt, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived from 965 to 1025. Another notable figure was Burchard von Wormbs, a German bishop and canonist who lived from 950 to 1025.
In the 14th century, the name Burchard appeared in the records of the city of Cologne, where it was associated with a prominent family of merchants and traders. One member of this family, Burchard von Köln, served as a city councilor and played a significant role in the city's economic affairs during the late 1300s.
Moving forward to the 16th century, Burchard von Spitzenberg, a German knight and military commander, gained recognition for his service in the Imperial Army during the Schmalkaldic War (1546-1547). He was born in 1499 and died in 1564.
Another individual of note was Burchard von Biberstein, a Swiss nobleman and statesman who lived from 1495 to 1548. He played a crucial role in the political and diplomatic affairs of Switzerland during the Reformation period.
Over the centuries, the surname Burchard has undergone various spellings and variations, such as Burchardt, Burckhardt, and Burkhardt, reflecting regional differences and linguistic adaptations. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remain rooted in its German heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burchard
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Burchard 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 Burchard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 1,632
- Two or more races4.8% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 20
- Black or African American0.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burchard
Burchard 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
#11,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,605
+371 bearers (+16.6%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 710 places
2020
#15,324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,844
-761 bearers (-29.2%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 3,336 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,698 | 2,234 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,988 | 2,605 | 0.88 | +371 bearers (+16.6%) | Up 710 places |
| 2020 | #15,324 | 1,844 | 0.62 | -761 bearers (-29.2%) | Down 3,336 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 Burchard 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 | #11,988 | #15,324 | -27.8% |
| Count | 2,605 | 1,844 | -29.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.62 | -29.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burchard bearers went from 2,605 to 1,844 (-29.2% change). The surname moved down 3,336 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,988 to #15,324.
FAQ
Burchard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burchard?
Name Census estimates that about 2,115 living Americans carry the surname Burchard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,059 residents.
How common is Burchard?
Burchard ranks #15,324 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,844 people with the surname Burchard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Burchard.
Has Burchard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burchard went from 2,605 recorded bearers to 1,844. That is a decrease of 761 (-29.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,988 to #15,324.
What does the Census say about the background of Burchard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Burchard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (1,632 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burchard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Burchard (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 Burchard mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from the Old High German words "burg" (fortress) and "hart" (strong or brave). 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 Burchard (0.62 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 Burchard?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Burchard, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.