2000
#5,429
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,900
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.19
Rare Last name
Kocher
Derived from a Middle High German word meaning "cook" or "chef," an occupational surname for a cook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,447 Americans carry the last name Kocher. That puts it at #5,914 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 53,165 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kocher 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
6.4K
1 in 53,165
Census rank
#5,914
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,622 bearers of the surname Kocher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5914th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kocher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kocher
The surname Kocher originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late medieval period. The name is derived from the German word "koch," meaning "cook" or "chef," suggesting that the bearers of this surname were likely involved in culinary professions or trades related to food preparation.
The Kocher surname can be traced back to various regions within present-day Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, where it was initially found in various forms, such as Kochere, Kocher, and Kocherer. These regional variations in spelling reflect the linguistic diversity and localized dialects prevalent during the Middle Ages.
Historical records indicate that the Kocher name was present in various official documents and registers from the 13th century onwards. For instance, a certain Heinrich Kocher was mentioned in a land registry from the city of Nuremberg, Germany, in 1294. Additionally, a Konrad Kocher was documented as a resident of the Swiss town of Bern in 1321.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the Kocher surname was Johann Kocher, a renowned chef who lived in the city of Augsburg, Germany, during the late 15th century. His culinary skills and reputation as a master cook were celebrated throughout the region, and he is credited with introducing several innovative cooking techniques and recipes.
Another notable figure was Hans Kocher, a Swiss theologian and Protestant reformer who lived from 1497 to 1569. He played a significant role in the Swiss Reformation and was a close associate of Ulrich Zwingli, a prominent leader of the Protestant movement in Switzerland.
In the 17th century, a German artist named Lukas Kocher (1625-1685) gained recognition for his intricate engravings and etchings, many of which depicted religious and allegorical scenes. His works were widely sought after and can be found in various art collections throughout Europe.
During the 18th century, Johann Kocher (1718-1792) was a respected mathematician and astronomer from the city of Nuremberg. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and was a member of the prestigious Prussian Academy of Sciences.
The Kocher surname also has a strong presence in the field of music, with one of the most renowned bearers being Konrad Kocher (1786-1872), a Swiss composer and educator. He is best known for composing the melody of the popular Christian hymn "Für Alle Guten Gaben," which is still widely sung in many churches today.
While the Kocher surname has its roots in the German-speaking regions of Europe, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, the historical origins and significance of this name remain deeply rooted in its culinary and professional associations from the Middle Ages and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kocher
Among Census respondents with the surname Kocher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kocher 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 Kocher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 5,194
- Two or more races2.9% · 162
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 152
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 77
- Black or African American0.3% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kocher
Kocher 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
#5,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,308
+408 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 2.14
Rank movement Down 85 places
2020
#5,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,622
-686 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 1.88
Rank movement Down 400 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,429 | 5,900 | 2.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,514 | 6,308 | 2.14 | +408 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 85 places |
| 2020 | #5,914 | 5,622 | 1.88 | -686 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 400 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 Kocher 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 | #5,514 | #5,914 | -7.3% |
| Count | 6,308 | 5,622 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.14 | 1.88 | -12.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kocher bearers went from 6,308 to 5,622 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 400 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,514 to #5,914.
FAQ
Kocher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kocher?
Name Census estimates that about 6,447 living Americans carry the surname Kocher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 53,165 residents.
How common is Kocher?
Kocher ranks #5,914 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,622 people with the surname Kocher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,447), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Kocher.
Has Kocher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kocher went from 6,308 recorded bearers to 5,622. That is a decrease of 686 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,514 to #5,914.
What does the Census say about the background of Kocher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kocher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (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 Kocher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (5,194 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kocher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (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 Kocher (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 Kocher mean?
Derived from a Middle High German word meaning "cook" or "chef," an occupational surname for a cook. 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 Kocher (1.88 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 Kocher?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.