2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Herker
A surname referring to a person from the town of Herk, Belgium.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Herker. 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 Herker 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 Herker 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 Herker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herker
The surname HERKER has its origins in Germany, with roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "herk," which referred to a type of hearth or fireplace. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, denoting a person who worked as a stoker or tended to fires.
In the medieval period, the name HERKER appeared in various records across regions of present-day Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest known references can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century, where a certain "Johannes Herker" is mentioned as a resident of Leipzig in 1268.
As the name spread, regional variations in spelling emerged, including Hercker, Herker, and Härker. These differences were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices of the time. In the 16th century, the HERKER surname gained prominence in the town of Zittau, located in the eastern part of modern-day Germany, near the border with Poland and the Czech Republic.
Notable individuals bearing the HERKER surname throughout history include Johannes Herker (1531-1592), a German theologian and rector of the St. Thomas School in Leipzig. Another prominent figure was Hans Herker (1560-1616), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Nuremberg, who is credited with developing one of the earliest known portable clocks.
In the 18th century, the HERKER name found its way to the United States, with several families settling in Pennsylvania and Virginia. One notable American bearer of the surname was John Herker (1784-1862), a farmer and landowner from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who served as a member of the state legislature in the 1830s.
Across the Atlantic, the name also gained a foothold in England, with records showing a branch of the HERKER family residing in the county of Gloucestershire. William Herker (1712-1788), a prominent figure in this English lineage, was a successful merchant and landowner who served as the Mayor of Gloucester in 1762.
Throughout its history, the HERKER surname has been associated with various occupations, from artisans and tradesmen to scholars and public servants. While its origins may have been humble, the name has endured and spread across continents, leaving a lasting legacy that spans centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herker
Among Census respondents with the surname Herker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Herker 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 Herker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 107
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herker
Herker 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,804 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+16 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 14,804 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 15,442 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 Herker 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 | #159,712 | #144,270 | 9.7% |
| Count | 101 | 117 | 15.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herker bearers went from 101 to 117 (+15.8% change). The surname moved up 15,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #144,270.
FAQ
Herker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herker?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Herker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Herker?
Herker 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 Herker. 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 Herker.
Has Herker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herker went from 101 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 16 (+15.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Herker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Herker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Herker (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 Herker mean?
A surname referring to a person from the town of Herk, Belgium. 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 Herker (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 Herker?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Herker is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.