2000
#86,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Goncharov
A surname derived from the Russian word "gonchar", meaning a potter or maker of clay vessels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 458 Americans carry the last name Goncharov. That puts it at #55,517 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 748,372 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goncharov 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
458
1 in 748,372
Census rank
#55,517
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
399
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 399 bearers of the surname Goncharov in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55517th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goncharov, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goncharov
The surname GONCHAROV is of Russian origin and dates back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Russian word "gonchar," which means "potter" or "maker of earthenware vessels." The name likely originated in areas where pottery-making was a prominent trade or craft, such as in the central and southern regions of Russia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GONCHAROV name can be found in the Velvet Book, a historical document from the late 15th century that listed noble families in Moscow. This suggests that the GONCHAROV family may have held a respected position or status during that time period.
In the 16th century, the name GONCHAROV appeared in various tax and census records in the towns of Novgorod and Tver, indicating a presence of the family in these regions. Some variations in spelling, such as "Goncherov" or "Goncharev," were also observed in these records.
Notable individuals bearing the GONCHAROV surname include Ivan Goncharov (1812-1891), a renowned Russian novelist and author of the classic novel "Oblomov." Another prominent figure was Andrei Goncharov (1903-1977), a Soviet military commander who played a significant role in World War II and received the prestigious title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In the 18th century, the GONCHAROV family had a presence in the city of Kaluga, as evidenced by the recorded birth of Nikolai Goncharov (1751-1824), a Russian nobleman and military officer who served under Catherine the Great.
Another historical figure was Sergei Goncharov (1892-1977), a Russian-born American artist and painter known for his works depicting scenes from Russian folk life and mythology. He immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century and had a successful career as an artist.
The GONCHAROV surname has also been associated with various place names in Russia, such as the village of Goncharovka in the Tambov region, which may have been named after a local potter or a member of the Goncharov family.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goncharov
Among Census respondents with the surname Goncharov, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Goncharov 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 Goncharov surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.5% · 397
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
- Two or more races0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goncharov
Goncharov 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
#59,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 337
+137 bearers (+68.5%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 26,756 places
2020
#55,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 399
+62 bearers (+18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 4,384 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #86,657 | 200 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #59,901 | 337 | 0.11 | +137 bearers (+68.5%) | Up 26,756 places |
| 2020 | #55,517 | 399 | 0.13 | +62 bearers (+18.4%) | Up 4,384 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 Goncharov 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 | #59,901 | #55,517 | 7.3% |
| Count | 337 | 399 | 18.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.13 | 21.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goncharov bearers went from 337 to 399 (+18.4% change). The surname moved up 4,384 positions in the national ranking, going from #59,901 to #55,517.
FAQ
Goncharov surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goncharov?
Name Census estimates that about 458 living Americans carry the surname Goncharov. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 748,372 residents.
How common is Goncharov?
Goncharov ranks #55,517 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 399 people with the surname Goncharov. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (458), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Goncharov.
Has Goncharov become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goncharov went from 337 recorded bearers to 399. That is an increase of 62 (+18.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #59,901 to #55,517.
What does the Census say about the background of Goncharov?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goncharov, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%) and Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Goncharov in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.5% (397 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goncharov appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%), Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Goncharov (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 Goncharov mean?
A surname derived from the Russian word "gonchar", meaning a potter or maker of clay vessels. 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 Goncharov (0.13 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 Goncharov?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Goncharov at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.