2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kechejian
A surname of Armenian origin meaning "artisan" or "craftsman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Kechejian. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kechejian 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Kechejian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kechejian, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kechejian
The surname KECHEJIAN is of Armenian origin, and its earliest known roots can be traced back to the 16th century in the Armenian communities of the Ottoman Empire, particularly in the regions of Anatolia and the Caucasus.
The name KECHEJIAN is thought to have derived from the Armenian word "kecheji," which means "maker of belts" or "belt maker." This suggests that the name may have originated among artisans or craftsmen who specialized in the production of belts or leather goods.
Historical records indicate that the name was present in Armenian manuscripts and church registers from the 16th and 17th centuries, although the exact spelling and variations may have differed from the modern form.
One of the earliest documented examples of the name KECHEJIAN is found in a 1612 census record from the Armenian community in Kayseri, a city in central Anatolia. The record lists a certain Hagop Kechejian, who was likely a belt maker or leatherworker by trade.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals with the surname KECHEJIAN have left their mark on various fields. One such figure was Vahan Kechejian (1868-1942), an Armenian educator and writer who contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of Armenian literature and culture.
Another prominent KECHEJIAN was Smbat Kechejian (1901-1985), an Armenian-American artist and painter known for his vibrant depictions of Armenian life and landscapes. His works are displayed in various museums and galleries across the United States and Armenia.
In the realm of politics, Avedis Kechejian (1879-1957) was an influential Armenian revolutionary and statesman who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia in 1918.
Furthering the legacy in the academic realm was Haig Kechejian (1925-2001), a renowned professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Utah, who authored several books and publications on Armenian history and culture.
Lastly, Vartkes Kechejian (1920-2005) was a respected Armenian-American architect and urban planner, whose work left a lasting impact on the built environment of several cities in the United States.
While the name KECHEJIAN may have evolved slightly over time, its roots and connections to Armenian culture and craftsmanship have remained steadfast, leaving an indelible mark on various aspects of history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kechejian
Among Census respondents with the surname Kechejian, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kechejian 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 Kechejian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kechejian
Kechejian appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 5,305 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 Kechejian 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 | #144,141 | #149,446 | -3.7% |
| Count | 115 | 110 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kechejian bearers went from 115 to 110 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 5,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #149,446.
FAQ
Kechejian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kechejian?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Kechejian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Kechejian?
Kechejian ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Kechejian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Kechejian.
Has Kechejian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kechejian went from 115 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Kechejian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kechejian, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Kechejian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kechejian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (5.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Kechejian (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 Kechejian mean?
A surname of Armenian origin meaning "artisan" or "craftsman". 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 Kechejian (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 Americans have the surname Kechejian?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.