2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Furka
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a topographic name or a nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Furka. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Furka 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Furka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Furka, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Furka
The surname Furka has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, with the earliest records of the name dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Slavic word "furka," which translates to "fork" or "branch," possibly referring to a physical feature of the land or a metaphorical representation of a family lineage.
One of the earliest known references to the Furka surname can be found in a medieval document from the Bohemian Kingdom, dated around 1180. This document mentions a landowner named Radoslav Furka, who held property near the town of Český Krumlov.
During the 13th century, the Furka name appeared in various records across the Slavic lands, including the Principality of Halych-Volhynia, which encompassed parts of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus. In a chronicle from 1245, a nobleman named Yaroslav Furka was mentioned as a trusted advisor to the Prince of Halych.
As the centuries progressed, the Furka surname spread across Eastern and Central Europe, with variations in spelling emerging, such as Furca, Furkas, and Furker. In the late 15th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Jan Furka, a renowned scholar and poet from the city of Krakow, who was born in 1462 and died in 1520.
In the 17th century, the Furka name gained prominence in the Russian Empire, particularly in the regions of Smolensk and Bryansk. One of the most influential figures from this period was Fyodor Furka, a military commander who served under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich during the Russo-Polish War of 1654-1667.
Another notable individual with the Furka surname was Maria Furka, a Polish-born aristocrat and landowner who lived in the late 18th century. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support of educational initiatives in her local community.
During the 19th century, the Furka surname appeared in various historical records across Eastern and Central Europe, including the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. One such record from 1832 mentions a merchant named Stefan Furka, who traded goods along the Danube River between Vienna and Budapest.
While these examples provide a glimpse into the rich history of the Furka surname, it is important to note that the name has undergone numerous variations and adaptations throughout different regions and time periods, reflecting the diverse cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped its evolution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Furka
Among Census respondents with the surname Furka, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Furka 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 Furka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Furka
Furka 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
-6 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,425 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-12 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,891 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 12,425 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 12,891 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 Furka 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 | #131,379 | #144,270 | -9.8% |
| Count | 129 | 117 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Furka bearers went from 129 to 117 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 12,891 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #144,270.
FAQ
Furka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Furka?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Furka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Furka?
Furka ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Furka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Furka.
Has Furka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Furka went from 129 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Furka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Furka, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Furka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Furka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (5.1%), Black (2.6%). 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 Furka (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 Furka mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a topographic name or a nickname. 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 Furka (0.04 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 Furka?
If you just want to know how many people are called Furka, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.