Karch last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Karch is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Karch.

Meaning of Karch

A place name surname from a German location called Karch or Karche.

Karch, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Karch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Karch in America

Karch is the 18385th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Karch surname appeared 1,506 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Karch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Karch to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 18385 16502 10.79%
Count 1,506 1,603 -6.24%
Proportion per 100k 0.51 0.59 -14.55%

The history of the last name Karch

The surname Karch originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "karche," meaning "church." This suggests that the name may have initially been a occupational surname given to someone who worked or lived near a church.

The name Karch can be found in various historical records and manuscripts from different regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest documented instances of the name is in the town of Altenburg, where a "Johannes Karch" is mentioned in a 1335 census record.

Another notable reference is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, where a "Henricus Karch" is recorded as a witness to a land transaction in 1412.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the University of Leipzig, with a student named "Andreas Karch" enrolled in 1542. This suggests that the Karch family had achieved a certain level of social standing and wealth to afford higher education during that time.

One of the earliest known Karch individuals was Matthias Karch, a Lutheran pastor who lived from 1535 to 1608. He served as the rector of the Latin school in Altenburg and was known for his religious writings and sermons.

Another notable figure was Johann Gottfried Karch, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1686 to 1756. He is best known for his portraits and religious works, many of which can still be found in churches and museums throughout Germany.

In the 19th century, Karl Friedrich Karch (1804-1879) was a respected German jurist and politician who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and the Reichstag.

The Karch surname also found its way to other parts of Europe, including Austria and Switzerland. One prominent individual was the Swiss composer and music theorist Johann Karch (1681-1758), who was known for his contributions to the development of musical notation and harmony.

Overall, the surname Karch has a rich history rooted in Germany, with connections to various occupations, such as the church, education, arts, and politics. While the name has spread to other regions, its origins can be traced back to the German lands, where it has been documented for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Karch

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Karch.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Karch was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.29% 1,420
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.53% 8
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.39% 21
Hispanic Origin 3.19% 48

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Karch has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.29% 97.07% -2.91%
Black 0.53% 0.56% -5.50%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.39% 0.87% 46.02%
Hispanic 3.19% 1.12% 96.06%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Karch was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Karch, please contact us.

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"Karch last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/karch-surname-popularity/.

"Karch last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/karch-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Karch last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/karch-surname-popularity/.

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