2000
#10,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,958
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Karcher
An occupational surname for a carter or wagon driver, derived from the Middle High German word "karch" meaning "cart."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,370 Americans carry the last name Karcher. That puts it at #10,431 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,708 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karcher 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
3.4K
1 in 101,708
Census rank
#10,431
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,939 bearers of the surname Karcher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10431st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karcher
The surname Karcher has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "karche," which means "carriage" or "wagon." This suggests that the name likely originated from a person who worked as a carriage maker or a carter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in the records of the city of Cologne. In 1283, a certain "Johannes Karcher" was mentioned in a document related to a land transaction. This document provides valuable insight into the early history of the name and its presence in the region.
During the 14th century, the name Karcher began to appear in various other parts of Germany, particularly in the southern regions. In 1367, a record from the town of Heidelberg mentions a "Heinrich Karcher" who owned a small farm. This suggests that the name was not limited to those involved in the carriage-making trade but was also adopted by individuals in other professions.
The surname Karcher is also linked to several place names, such as Karcherwörth, a small village located near the city of Bamberg in Bavaria. The name of this village likely derived from the surname itself, indicating that a family bearing the name Karcher may have been among the earliest settlers or landowners in the area.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Karcher. One such example is Johann Karcher (1531-1592), a renowned German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of navigation. Another notable figure is Friedrich Karcher (1809-1888), a German industrialist and the founder of the Kärcher company, which is now a leading manufacturer of cleaning equipment.
Other notable individuals with the surname Karcher include:
1. Heinrich Karcher (1856-1923), a German architect known for his work on numerous churches and public buildings.
2. Gustav Karcher (1870-1945), a German painter and illustrator who specialized in landscapes and portraits.
3. Alfred Karcher (1901-1972), a German politician who served as a member of the Bundestag, the German parliament.
4. Erich Karcher (1918-2001), a German soldier and recipient of the Knight's Cross, one of the highest military decorations awarded by Nazi Germany during World War II.
5. Günter Karcher (born 1940), a German businessman and former CEO of the Kärcher company, known for his contributions to the growth and expansion of the company.
While the surname Karcher has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its historical significance and connection to the Middle Ages remain firmly rooted in its Germanic origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karcher
Among Census respondents with the surname Karcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Karcher 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 Karcher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 2,734
- Two or more races3.0% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- Black or African American0.6% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karcher
Karcher 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
#8,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,746
+788 bearers (+26.6%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 1,293 places
2020
#10,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,939
-807 bearers (-21.5%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 1,675 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,049 | 2,958 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,756 | 3,746 | 1.27 | +788 bearers (+26.6%) | Up 1,293 places |
| 2020 | #10,431 | 2,939 | 0.98 | -807 bearers (-21.5%) | Down 1,675 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 Karcher 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 | #8,756 | #10,431 | -19.1% |
| Count | 3,746 | 2,939 | -21.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 0.98 | -22.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karcher bearers went from 3,746 to 2,939 (-21.5% change). The surname moved down 1,675 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,756 to #10,431.
FAQ
Karcher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karcher?
Name Census estimates that about 3,370 living Americans carry the surname Karcher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,708 residents.
How common is Karcher?
Karcher ranks #10,431 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,939 people with the surname Karcher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,370), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Karcher.
Has Karcher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karcher went from 3,746 recorded bearers to 2,939. That is a decrease of 807 (-21.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,756 to #10,431.
What does the Census say about the background of Karcher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Karcher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (2,734 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karcher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Karcher (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 Karcher mean?
An occupational surname for a carter or wagon driver, derived from the Middle High German word "karch" meaning "cart." 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 Karcher (0.98 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 share the surname Karcher?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.