Find out how popular the last name Foerch is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Foerch.

Foerch, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Foerch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Foerch in America

Foerch is the 102197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Foerch surname appeared 176 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Foerch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Foerch to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Foerch

The surname Foerch is believed to have its origins in Germany, emerging sometime during the late medieval period or the Renaissance era. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "forasca," which translates to "trout." This suggests that the name may have been initially applied as a descriptive surname or occupation-based moniker for someone involved in trout fishing or trading.

In the 15th century, variations of the name, such as Foersch and Försch, began appearing in records from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest documented instances of the name Foerch can be found in a registry from the town of Nuremberg, dated 1492, referencing a certain Johannes Foerch.

The Foerch name gained prominence in the 16th century, with notable individuals including Hans Foerch (1501-1572), a respected Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony. Additionally, records from the city of Augsburg mention a merchant named Matthias Foerch (1527-1594), who traded in luxury goods and maintained business ties with the Italian city-states.

As the centuries progressed, the Foerch name spread across various regions of Germany, with some branches adopting slight spelling variations such as Förch or Foersch. In the 18th century, a prominent figure emerged in the form of Johann Christoph Foerch (1738-1812), a celebrated composer and organist from Saxony who composed numerous church cantatas and organ works.

Another notable bearer of the Foerch name was Karl Foerch (1810-1879), a Bavarian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the revolutionary upheavals of 1848-1849. His contemporaries included Friedrich Foerch (1805-1892), a renowned historian and author from Saxony who wrote extensively on the cultural heritage of his native region.

As the 19th century progressed, the Foerch name continued to be represented in various fields, including academia, the arts, and commerce. One example is Wilhelm Foerch (1845-1923), a successful industrialist from Nuremberg who established a prosperous manufacturing company specializing in precision tools and machinery.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Foerch

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Foerch.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Foerch was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Foerch has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Foerch was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Foerch, please contact us.

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