2000
#4,874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,613
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.45
Rare Last name
Farkas
A Hungarian occupational surname meaning "wolf," likely referring to a person with wolf-like characteristics or a wolf hunter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,411 Americans carry the last name Farkas. That puts it at #5,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,249 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farkas 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Farkas with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.4K
1 in 46,249
Census rank
#5,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,463 bearers of the surname Farkas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farkas, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farkas
The surname FARKAS originated in Hungary, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Hungarian word "farkas," which means "wolf" or "wolflike." This name likely referred to someone with wolf-like characteristics or someone who lived near a wolf-inhabited area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FARKAS name can be found in the 14th century, in a document from the town of Békés in southeastern Hungary. The name was spelled "Forkos" at the time, which is believed to be a variation of the modern spelling.
In the 15th century, the FARKAS name appeared in several historical records, including tax rolls and land ownership documents. Notably, a man named Farkas Bálint was mentioned in a 1487 document from the city of Szeged, which suggests that the name was well-established in the region by that time.
During the 16th century, the FARKAS name gained prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was Farkas András, a Hungarian writer and poet who lived from 1510 to 1572. His works, which included religious poetry and translations of classical literature, were widely read and influential in his time.
Another notable FARKAS from this period was Farkas Máté, a Hungarian military commander who fought against the Ottoman Turks in the late 16th century. He was renowned for his bravery and strategic prowess, and his exploits were recorded in several contemporary chronicles.
In the 17th century, the FARKAS name continued to be associated with influential individuals. Farkas György, a Hungarian nobleman and politician, served as the Lord Lieutenant of Zemplén County from 1630 to 1655. His descendants went on to hold prominent positions in Hungarian society for generations.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Farkas Mihály, a renowned Hungarian mathematician and astronomer. Born in 1767, he made significant contributions to the fields of celestial mechanics and geodesy, and his work was widely respected throughout Europe.
As the FARKAS surname spread across Hungary and into neighboring regions, it also became associated with various place names. For example, the village of Farkasvölgy (meaning "Wolf Valley") in western Hungary likely derived its name from the presence of individuals with the FARKAS surname in the area.
Throughout its long history, the FARKAS surname has been borne by numerous individuals who have left their mark on Hungarian culture, science, and history. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, it continues to be a prominent surname in Hungary and other parts of Central Europe to this day.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farkas
Among Census respondents with the surname Farkas, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Farkas 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 Farkas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 6,019
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 228
- Two or more races2.1% · 137
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 41
- Black or African American0.4% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farkas
Farkas 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
#5,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,714
+101 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Down 330 places
2020
#5,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,463
-251 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 2.16
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,874 | 6,613 | 2.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,204 | 6,714 | 2.28 | +101 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 330 places |
| 2020 | #5,221 | 6,463 | 2.16 | -251 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 17 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 Farkas 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 | #5,204 | #5,221 | -0.3% |
| Count | 6,714 | 6,463 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.28 | 2.16 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farkas bearers went from 6,714 to 6,463 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,204 to #5,221.
FAQ
Farkas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farkas?
Name Census estimates that about 7,411 living Americans carry the surname Farkas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,249 residents.
How common is Farkas?
Farkas ranks #5,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,463 people with the surname Farkas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,411), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Farkas.
Has Farkas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farkas went from 6,714 recorded bearers to 6,463. That is a decrease of 251 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,204 to #5,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Farkas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farkas, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Farkas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (6,019 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farkas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Farkas (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 Farkas mean?
A Hungarian occupational surname meaning "wolf," likely referring to a person with wolf-like characteristics or a wolf hunter. 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 Farkas (2.16 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 surname Farkas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.