2000
#111,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Katchmark
A surname likely derived from a Slavic personal name meaning "guard" or "watchman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Katchmark. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Katchmark 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Katchmark in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Katchmark, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Katchmark
The surname Katchmark is of German origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where many similar-sounding surnames were found.
One theory suggests that Katchmark is derived from the Old German word "katch," which referred to a type of small boat or barge used for fishing and transportation along rivers and lakes. This could indicate that the name's earliest bearers were associated with maritime trades or lived in coastal or riverside communities.
Another possibility is that Katchmark is a locational surname, referring to a specific place or settlement where the family originated. In this case, it may have evolved from an older place name that has since been lost or altered over time.
The earliest known record of the Katchmark name appears in a 14th-century tax registry from the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Johannes Katchmark is listed as a landowner. This suggests that the family had already established itself in the region by that time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Katchmark (1521-1589) was a prominent merchant and banker in the city of Augsburg, known for his successful trading ventures and influential role in the local economy.
During the 17th century, the Katchmark name spread across various parts of Central and Eastern Europe, with records indicating families bearing this surname in areas such as Silesia (now part of Poland), Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic), and even as far as the Baltic regions.
One notable individual from this period was Johann Katchmark (1648-1712), a Lutheran minister and theologian who served as a parish priest in the town of Görlitz (now in eastern Germany). His published works on religious doctrine and sermons were widely circulated during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the Katchmark family gained prominence in the field of academia. Friedrich Katchmark (1812-1891) was a renowned linguist and philologist who made significant contributions to the study of Germanic languages, particularly in the areas of etymology and historical linguistics.
As the Katchmark name spread throughout Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Katchmarck, Katzmark, and Kachmark, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic influences. However, the core surname and its distinctive sound have remained recognizable throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Katchmark
Among Census respondents with the surname Katchmark, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Katchmark 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 Katchmark surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 118
Timeline
Historical Census data for Katchmark
Katchmark 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
-9 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 13,429 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-20 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,119 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | -9 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 13,429 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 18,963 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 Katchmark 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 | #124,548 | #143,511 | -15.2% |
| Count | 138 | 118 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Katchmark bearers went from 138 to 118 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 18,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #143,511.
FAQ
Katchmark surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Katchmark?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Katchmark. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Katchmark?
Katchmark ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Katchmark. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Katchmark.
Has Katchmark become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Katchmark went from 138 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #124,548 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Katchmark?
Among Census respondents with the surname Katchmark, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Katchmark in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Katchmark appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Katchmark (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 Katchmark mean?
A surname likely derived from a Slavic personal name meaning "guard" or "watchman." 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 Katchmark (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 share the surname Katchmark?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.