2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Herkes
A Turkish surname potentially referring to "everyone" or "everybody".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Herkes. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herkes 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Herkes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Herkes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herkes, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.7%) and Hispanic (8.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herkes
The surname "HERKES" is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch word "herken," which means "to recognize" or "to identify." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive surname for someone who had a distinctive appearance or characteristic that made them easily recognizable.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "HERKES" can be found in a Dutch census record from the town of Leeuwarden, dated 1612. In this record, a man named Pieter Herkes is listed as a resident of the town. It is possible that this Pieter Herkes was one of the first individuals to adopt the surname in its current spelling.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the name "HERKES" appeared in various Dutch records and documents, particularly in the regions of Friesland and Groningen. During this time, several variations of the spelling were also used, such as "Herckes," "Herckens," and "Hercx."
One notable individual with the surname "HERKES" was Jan Herkes (1647-1712), a Dutch painter and engraver from Leeuwarden. He was known for his landscapes and portraits, and some of his works can still be found in museums and private collections throughout the Netherlands.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Pieter Herkes (1776-1842), a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as a member of the States-General, the Dutch parliament, in the early 19th century.
In the late 18th century, the "HERKES" surname also appeared in Germany, particularly in the regions bordering the Netherlands. This suggests that some Dutch families with this surname may have migrated or established roots in neighboring areas of Germany.
Johanna Herkes (1821-1893) was a German writer and poet who was born in the town of Krefeld, near the Dutch border. She published several collections of poetry and writings during her lifetime.
As the centuries passed, the "HERKES" surname continued to spread across Europe, with some individuals bearing this name migrating to other countries, including the United States and Canada.
One notable American with this surname was William Herkes (1892-1974), a businessman and entrepreneur from Pennsylvania who founded the Herkes Brewing Company in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herkes
Among Census respondents with the surname Herkes, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.7%) and Hispanic (8.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Herkes 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 Herkes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.6% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.7% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 9
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herkes
Herkes 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-7 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,986 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 16,986 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 413 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 Herkes 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 | #153,769 | #154,182 | -0.3% |
| Count | 106 | 103 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herkes bearers went from 106 to 103 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,182.
FAQ
Herkes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herkes?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Herkes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Herkes?
Herkes ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Herkes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Herkes.
Has Herkes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herkes went from 106 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Herkes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herkes, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (11.7%) and Hispanic (8.7%). 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 Herkes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.6% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herkes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.7%), Hispanic (8.7%). 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 Herkes (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 Herkes mean?
A Turkish surname potentially referring to "everyone" or "everybody". 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 Herkes (0.03 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 Herkes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.