Ketcher last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Ketcher

A surname originating from an occupational name for a maker of ketches or hunting nets.

Ketcher, 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 Ketcher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ketcher in America

Ketcher is the 29231st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ketcher surname appeared 810 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ketcher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ketcher 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 29231 27526 6.01%
Count 810 824 -1.71%
Proportion per 100k 0.27 0.31 -13.79%

The history of the last name Ketcher

The surname Ketcher is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "kecc," which means "dweller by the channel or stream." This suggests that the name's bearers initially resided near a watercourse or a body of water.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a certain Walter le Keccher is listed. This spelling variation, "le Keccher," highlights the name's evolution over time.

In the 14th century, the Ketcher surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record compiled during the reign of King Edward I. This document mentions a John Keccher, providing insight into the name's presence in different regions of England during that era.

The Ketcher name has also been associated with certain place names, such as Ketcher's Green in Bedfordshire. This connection suggests that the surname may have originated from a specific location or region where the earliest bearers of the name resided.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Ketcher. One such figure was John Ketcher (1555-1638), a prominent English merchant and landowner who served as the Sheriff of London in 1615. Another was William Ketcher (1678-1744), a respected scholar and theologian who authored several religious treatises during his lifetime.

Other individuals of note include:

  1. Thomas Ketcher (1620-1692), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northampton from 1661 to 1679.
  2. Mary Ketcher (1745-1812), a philanthropist and social reformer known for her efforts in improving the living conditions of the poor in London.
  3. Richard Ketcher (1792-1867), a renowned landscape painter whose works are displayed in several galleries across England.
  4. Elizabeth Ketcher (1818-1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education, founding one of the first schools for girls in Manchester.
  5. George Ketcher (1875-1947), a celebrated architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ketcher

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

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 Ketcher was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 56.17% 455
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 33.09% 268
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 6.79% 55
Hispanic Origin 3.09% 25

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 Ketcher has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 56.17% 56.43% -0.46%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 33.09% 33.86% -2.30%
Two or More Races 6.79% 7.89% -14.99%
Hispanic 3.09% 1.33% 79.64%

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 Ketcher was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

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"Ketcher last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 10, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/ketcher-surname-popularity/.

"Ketcher last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/ketcher-surname-popularity/. Accessed 10 October, 2024

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

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