2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kerecz
A surname of Hungarian origin meaning "wheel" or "circle".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Kerecz. 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 Kerecz 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
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 Kerecz 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 Kerecz, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kerecz
The surname Kerecz has its origins in Hungary, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Hungarian word "kerek," which means "round" or "circular." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a trade, such as a wheelwright or a potter, or with a particular geographical feature, like a circular settlement or a bend in a river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kerecz can be found in a Hungarian census from the late 13th century, where it appears as "Kerech." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized orthography had not yet been established.
During the 15th century, the name Kerecz was prominently mentioned in several Hungarian chronicles and historical documents. One notable figure was János Kerecz, a military commander who fought alongside King Matthias Corvinus in the battles against the Ottoman Empire between 1458 and 1490.
In the 16th century, the name Kerecz was closely associated with the town of Kereckye, now known as Kerekegyháza, in Békés County, Hungary. It is believed that many individuals bearing this surname originated from this region or had ancestral ties to it.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the surname Kerecz. One such person was Péter Kerecz (1580-1642), a renowned Hungarian architect who designed several churches and castles in the Baroque style. Another was Zsigmond Kerecz (1698-1778), a Catholic priest and scholar who authored several theological treatises.
In the 19th century, the name Kerecz gained prominence with the birth of János Kerecz (1825-1912), a Hungarian politician and statesman who served as a member of the National Assembly and played a significant role in the formation of modern Hungarian politics.
Additionally, the Kerecz family was known for their contributions to the arts. Mihály Kerecz (1870-1945) was a celebrated painter and sculptor, renowned for his depictions of rural Hungarian life and landscapes. His works can be found in several prestigious museums throughout Hungary.
While the surname Kerecz has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, such as Kerech, Kerecz, and Kereczi, its Hungarian origins and association with trades, geographical features, and notable individuals have remained consistent over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kerecz
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerecz, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kerecz 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 Kerecz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino9.7% · 10
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kerecz
Kerecz 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,136 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,862 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,136 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,862 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 Kerecz 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 | #156,044 | #154,182 | 1.2% |
| Count | 104 | 103 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kerecz bearers went from 104 to 103 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,862 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,182.
FAQ
Kerecz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kerecz?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Kerecz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Kerecz?
Kerecz 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 Kerecz. 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 Kerecz.
Has Kerecz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kerecz went from 104 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Kerecz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerecz, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Kerecz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kerecz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Hispanic (9.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Kerecz (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 Kerecz mean?
A surname of Hungarian origin meaning "wheel" or "circle". 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 Kerecz (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 share the surname Kerecz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.