2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kirckof
A habitational surname derived from a Dutch placename meaning "church estate".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Kirckof. 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 Kirckof 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 Kirckof 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 Kirckof, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kirckof
The surname KIRCKOF has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Middle Low German word "kerkehof," which translates to "churchyard" or "cemetery." This suggests that the name may have been associated with those who lived near a churchyard or worked in a cemetery.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town of Lübeck, located in northern Germany. A record from 1489 mentions a "Johann Kirckof" who was a merchant in the city. This indicates that the name was already in use during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various records across different regions of Germany. For example, in 1523, a "Hans Kirckof" is mentioned in a document from the city of Cologne. Additionally, a "Peter Kirckof" is listed in a registry from the town of Erfurt, dated 1548.
As the name spread throughout Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Kirkhof" and "Kirchhoff." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
One notable figure bearing the name was Johann Kirckof, a German composer and organist who lived from 1690 to 1753. He is known for his contributions to church music during the Baroque period.
Another individual of historical significance was Johann Friedrich Kirchhof, a German writer and satirist born in 1639. He is best known for his work "Wendunmuth," a collection of satirical tales and anecdotes published in the late 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name appears in various records from different parts of Germany. For instance, a "Johann Christoph Kirckof" is mentioned in a document from Württemberg, dated 1712, while a "Georg Kirckof" is listed in a registry from Saxony in 1758.
As the name continued to spread and evolve, it also found its way into other regions and countries. For example, in the 19th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Kirckof in the United States and other parts of North America, likely due to immigration from Germany.
Throughout its history, the surname KIRCKOF has maintained its connection to its German roots and the original meaning associated with churchyards or cemeteries. While the spelling may have varied over time and across different regions, the name has endured as a testament to its rich historical background.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kirckof
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirckof, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kirckof 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 Kirckof surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kirckof
Kirckof 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+13 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,504 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-20 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,836 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 2,504 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 18,836 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 Kirckof 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 | #130,610 | #149,446 | -14.4% |
| Count | 130 | 110 | -15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kirckof bearers went from 130 to 110 (-15.4% change). The surname moved down 18,836 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #149,446.
FAQ
Kirckof surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kirckof?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Kirckof. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Kirckof?
Kirckof 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 Kirckof. 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 Kirckof.
Has Kirckof become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kirckof went from 130 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Kirckof?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirckof, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Kirckof in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kirckof appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Kirckof (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 Kirckof mean?
A habitational surname derived from a Dutch placename meaning "church estate". 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 Kirckof (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 are called Kirckof?
See how common the surname Kirckof is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.