2000
#10,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,791
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Burkart
A German occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a beekeeper or kept beehives.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,784 Americans carry the last name Burkart. That puts it at #12,232 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,116 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burkart 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
2.8K
1 in 123,116
Census rank
#12,232
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,428 bearers of the surname Burkart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12232nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkart, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burkart
The surname Burkart originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in modern-day Germany and Switzerland. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name Burkart is derived from the Germanic words "burg" and "hart," which translate to "fortified place" and "strong," respectively. This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or was associated with a fortified settlement or stronghold.
Historical references to the name Burkart can be found in various medieval records and documents. For instance, the Codex Diplomaticus Salemitanus, a collection of charters and deeds from the Benedictine monastery in Salem, Germany, mentions a "Burkhart de Windegg" in the year 1298.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Burkart was Johann Burkart, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from around 1375 to 1443. He is known for his works on logic and metaphysics, as well as his teachings at the University of Vienna.
Another notable figure was Hans Burkart, a Swiss painter and woodcutter active in the 15th century. Born around 1440 in Basel, he is renowned for his intricate woodcuts and illustrations, many of which adorned books and manuscripts of the time.
In the 16th century, there was Christoph Burkart, a German cartographer and engraver born in Nuremberg around 1500. He is best known for his highly detailed maps of various regions in Europe, which were widely used and appreciated for their accuracy.
The name Burkart has also been associated with place names and geographical locations. For example, the village of Burkartshausen in Bavaria, Germany, likely derived its name from a person named Burkart who may have been an early settler or landowner in the area.
Another individual of note was Johann Gottlieb Burkart, a German composer and organist who lived from 1737 to 1820. He composed numerous works for the church and is particularly remembered for his organ compositions and sacred vocal music.
Throughout its history, the surname Burkart has undergone various spellings and variations, such as Burkhart, Burckhart, Burkhardt, and Burkert, reflecting the regional dialects and language changes over time. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained largely intact.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burkart
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkart, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Burkart 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 Burkart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 2,212
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 99
- Two or more races2.8% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 24
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burkart
Burkart 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
#10,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,056
+265 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 44 places
2020
#12,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,428
-628 bearers (-20.5%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 1,733 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,543 | 2,791 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,499 | 3,056 | 1.04 | +265 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 44 places |
| 2020 | #12,232 | 2,428 | 0.81 | -628 bearers (-20.5%) | Down 1,733 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 Burkart 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 | #10,499 | #12,232 | -16.5% |
| Count | 3,056 | 2,428 | -20.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 0.81 | -21.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burkart bearers went from 3,056 to 2,428 (-20.5% change). The surname moved down 1,733 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,499 to #12,232.
FAQ
Burkart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burkart?
Name Census estimates that about 2,784 living Americans carry the surname Burkart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,116 residents.
How common is Burkart?
Burkart ranks #12,232 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,428 people with the surname Burkart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,784), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Burkart.
Has Burkart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burkart went from 3,056 recorded bearers to 2,428. That is a decrease of 628 (-20.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,499 to #12,232.
What does the Census say about the background of Burkart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkart, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Burkart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (2,212 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burkart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Burkart (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 Burkart mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a beekeeper or kept beehives. 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 Burkart (0.81 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 Burkart?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Burkart on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.