2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gurchiek
A surname derived from a Polish place name or topographic feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Gurchiek. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gurchiek 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Gurchiek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurchiek, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gurchiek
The surname Gurchiek is of Eastern European origin and is believed to have its roots in the Slavic languages spoken in the region. It likely originated in the late medieval or early modern period, though its exact origins are uncertain.
One possible theory is that the name is derived from the Slavic word "gorchak," which means "bitter" or "sour." This may have been a nickname or descriptive name given to someone with a sour or bitter temperament or personality. Alternatively, it could have been a reference to a person's occupation, such as a vinegar maker or someone involved in the production of fermented foods.
During the Middle Ages, many surnames were derived from nicknames, physical characteristics, or occupations, and it's possible that Gurchiek followed a similar path. The name may have evolved over time, with spelling variations such as Gurchak, Gurczak, or Gurczyk appearing in different regions.
While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in major historical documents like the Domesday Book, some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gurchiek can be found in various church and municipal records from the 16th and 17th centuries in areas like Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus.
One notable early bearer of the surname was Jan Gurchiek, a Polish landowner and nobleman who lived in the mid-16th century. He was involved in local politics and is mentioned in several documents from the period.
Another historical figure with the name Gurchiek was Yuri Gurchiek, a Ukrainian Cossack leader who fought against Polish rule in the late 17th century. He played a role in the Khmelnytsky Uprising, which sought to establish an independent Ukrainian state.
In the 18th century, a Russian merchant named Ivan Gurchiek established a successful trading business, dealing in goods such as furs and textiles. He was known for his entrepreneurial spirit and was instrumental in fostering trade between Russia and other European countries.
During the 19th century, a Polish writer and poet named Kazimierz Gurchiek gained recognition for his works exploring themes of nationalism and Polish identity. His poems were widely read and celebrated during a time of political upheaval in the region.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Olga Gurchiek, a Ukrainian painter and artist who lived in the early 20th century. Her vibrant paintings and murals depicting Ukrainian folklore and rural life were highly acclaimed and are now considered important works of Ukrainian cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gurchiek
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurchiek, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gurchiek 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 Gurchiek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 119
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gurchiek
Gurchiek 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+9 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 103 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+10 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,038 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.8%) | Down 103 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 7,038 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 Gurchiek 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 | #148,347 | #141,309 | 4.7% |
| Count | 111 | 121 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gurchiek bearers went from 111 to 121 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 7,038 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #141,309.
FAQ
Gurchiek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gurchiek?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Gurchiek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Gurchiek?
Gurchiek ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Gurchiek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Gurchiek.
Has Gurchiek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gurchiek went from 111 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 10 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Gurchiek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurchiek, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Gurchiek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gurchiek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Black (0.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Gurchiek (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 Gurchiek mean?
A surname derived from a Polish place name or topographic feature. 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 Gurchiek (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 surname Gurchiek?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.