2000
#78,838
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 225
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Furch
A German surname derived from the word "furche" meaning furrow or ditch.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 278 Americans carry the last name Furch. That puts it at #83,650 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,232,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Furch 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
278
1 in 1,232,929
Census rank
#83,650
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
242
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 242 bearers of the surname Furch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 83650th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Furch, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Furch
The surname FURCH is believed to have originated in Germany in the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "furchen," which means "to plow" or "to furrow," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked as a farmer or agricultural laborer.
Early records show the name appearing in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony, where it was often spelled as "Furche" or "Fuerch." In the 17th century, the spelling "FURCH" became more common, likely due to the influence of local dialects and regional variations.
One of the earliest documented references to the name FURCH can be found in the records of the town of Fürth, located in the modern-day state of Bavaria, Germany. In a document dated 1611, a man named Hans FURCH is mentioned as a landowner and farmer in the area.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the surname FURCH gained prominence in various fields. For example, Johann Georg FURCH (1766-1823) was a German composer and organist who was renowned for his church music compositions. Another notable figure was Karl Ludwig FURCH (1792-1867), a German botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Central Europe.
In the realm of literature, the name FURCH is associated with the German writer and poet Friedrich FURCH (1825-1892), whose works often explored themes of nature and the rural countryside. Additionally, the German painter and illustrator Wilhelm FURCH (1856-1923) was known for his landscapes and depictions of rural scenes.
Another prominent individual with the surname FURCH was the German industrialist and entrepreneur Otto FURCH (1880-1958), who founded the FURCH Company, a successful manufacturing firm specializing in precision tools and machinery.
While the surname FURCH is most commonly associated with Germany, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, including Austria, Switzerland, and regions of Eastern Europe, where German-speaking communities have historically resided.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Furch
Among Census respondents with the surname Furch, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Furch 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 Furch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.5% · 144
- Black or African American28.1% · 68
- Two or more races7.9% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Furch
Furch 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
#92,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 198
-27 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 13,881 places
2020
#83,650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 242
+44 bearers (+22.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 9,069 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #78,838 | 225 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #92,719 | 198 | 0.07 | -27 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 13,881 places |
| 2020 | #83,650 | 242 | 0.08 | +44 bearers (+22.2%) | Up 9,069 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 Furch 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 | #92,719 | #83,650 | 9.8% |
| Count | 198 | 242 | 22.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 15.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Furch bearers went from 198 to 242 (+22.2% change). The surname moved up 9,069 positions in the national ranking, going from #92,719 to #83,650.
FAQ
Furch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Furch?
Name Census estimates that about 278 living Americans carry the surname Furch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,232,929 residents.
How common is Furch?
Furch ranks #83,650 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 242 people with the surname Furch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (278), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Furch.
Has Furch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Furch went from 198 recorded bearers to 242. That is an increase of 44 (+22.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #92,719 to #83,650.
What does the Census say about the background of Furch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Furch, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (7.9%). 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 Furch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.5% (144 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Furch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.5%), Black (28.1%), Two or More Races (7.9%). 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 Furch (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 Furch mean?
A German surname derived from the word "furche" meaning furrow or ditch. 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 Furch (0.08 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 Furch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.