2000
#6,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,478
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.66
Rare Last name
Futch
A variant of the English occupational surname Fitch, referring to a polecat trapper or fur trader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,836 Americans carry the last name Futch. That puts it at #7,591 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,876 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Futch 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
4.8K
1 in 70,876
Census rank
#7,591
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,217 bearers of the surname Futch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7591st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Futch, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Futch
The surname FUTCH originated in Germany during the medieval period, likely deriving from the Old German word "Futz" or "Futsche," which referred to a large, thick staff or walking stick. It's believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to an individual who carried or made such staffs.
The earliest recorded instances of the FUTCH surname date back to the 13th century in various German regions, with variations in spelling such as "Futsche," "Futsch," and "Futz." These early records can be found in local parish registers and court documents from that era.
One of the notable early bearers of the FUTCH name was Hans Futsch, a master woodcarver born in Nuremberg, Germany, around 1480. His intricate carved works adorned several churches and noble residences throughout the region during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, the FUTCH surname appeared in the town records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria, Germany. A certain Johann Futch was documented as a respected townsman and member of the local guild of woodworkers in 1542.
As the FUTCH family dispersed across Europe in the following centuries, some members of the lineage settled in the Netherlands, where the name was adapted to the Dutch spelling "Futchen." One notable bearer was Willem Futchen, a Dutch merchant and ship owner who lived in Amsterdam from 1685 to 1754.
During the 18th century, the FUTCH surname also found its way to England, likely through German immigrants or trade connections. Records show a Thomas Futch, born in 1722 in London, who was a successful broker and financier in the city's bustling financial district.
Another prominent figure with the FUTCH name was Karl Futch, a German military officer who served in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1775 in Berlin, he rose to the rank of Major General and was decorated for his bravery in the Battle of Leipzig in 1813.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Futch
Among Census respondents with the surname Futch, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Futch 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 Futch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.5% · 3,143
- Black or African American16.9% · 714
- Two or more races4.5% · 191
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Futch
Futch 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
#7,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,591
+113 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 348 places
2020
#7,591
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,217
-374 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 333 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,910 | 4,478 | 1.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,258 | 4,591 | 1.56 | +113 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 348 places |
| 2020 | #7,591 | 4,217 | 1.41 | -374 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 333 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 Futch 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 | #7,258 | #7,591 | -4.6% |
| Count | 4,591 | 4,217 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.56 | 1.41 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Futch bearers went from 4,591 to 4,217 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 333 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,258 to #7,591.
FAQ
Futch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Futch?
Name Census estimates that about 4,836 living Americans carry the surname Futch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,876 residents.
How common is Futch?
Futch ranks #7,591 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 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 4,217 people with the surname Futch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,836), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 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 Futch.
Has Futch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Futch went from 4,591 recorded bearers to 4,217. That is a decrease of 374 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,258 to #7,591.
What does the Census say about the background of Futch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Futch, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Futch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.5% (3,143 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Futch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.5%), Black (16.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Futch (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 Futch mean?
A variant of the English occupational surname Fitch, referring to a polecat trapper or fur trader. 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 Futch (1.41 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 Futch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.