2000
#11,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,448
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Korb
A German occupational surname referring to a basket maker or weaver.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,719 Americans carry the last name Korb. That puts it at #12,483 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,059 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Korb 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
2.7K
1 in 126,059
Census rank
#12,483
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,371 bearers of the surname Korb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12483rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Korb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Korb
The surname KORB has its origins in Germany, where it can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "Korb," meaning "basket," which suggests that the original bearers of this surname may have been basket makers or traders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KORB surname dates back to the 13th century, when a certain Johannes Korb was mentioned in a document from the town of Mainz in the Rhineland region of Germany. This region, along with the neighboring areas of Hesse and Franconia, is considered the historical heartland of the KORB name.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records from the city of Nuremberg, where a family of basket makers named KORB was documented. This suggests that the name may have been associated with a specific trade or occupation during that period.
As the KORB surname spread across Germany and other parts of Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Korber, Körber, and Körbe. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic differences that existed at the time.
One notable historical figure with the KORB surname was Johann Korb (1670-1741), a German writer and traveler who accompanied the Austrian ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th century. His travelogue, "Diary of a Journey to the Ottoman Court," provided valuable insights into the culture and customs of the Ottoman Empire during that era.
Another figure of note was Johann Nepomuk Korb (1805-1882), a German botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Central Europe. His extensive collection of plant specimens and detailed observations were instrumental in advancing botanical research during the 19th century.
In the realm of literature, the KORB surname is associated with Wilhelm Korb (1882-1952), a German writer and poet who gained recognition for his novels and short stories depicting rural life in southern Germany.
Moving to the 20th century, Hans Korb (1907-1988) was a German architect who played a crucial role in the reconstruction and urban planning of many German cities after World War II. His innovative designs and emphasis on functionality and sustainability left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of post-war Germany.
Finally, one cannot overlook the contributions of Karl Korb (1923-2009), a German-American mathematician and computer scientist who made significant advancements in the field of artificial intelligence. His work on decision theory and probabilistic reasoning laid the foundation for many modern AI applications.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Korb
Among Census respondents with the surname Korb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Korb 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 Korb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,180
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 77
- Two or more races3.2% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Korb
Korb 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
#13,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,287
-161 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 1,605 places
2020
#12,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,371
+84 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 851 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,729 | 2,448 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,334 | 2,287 | 0.78 | -161 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 1,605 places |
| 2020 | #12,483 | 2,371 | 0.79 | +84 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 851 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 Korb 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 | #13,334 | #12,483 | 6.4% |
| Count | 2,287 | 2,371 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.79 | 1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Korb bearers went from 2,287 to 2,371 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 851 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,334 to #12,483.
FAQ
Korb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Korb?
Name Census estimates that about 2,719 living Americans carry the surname Korb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,059 residents.
How common is Korb?
Korb ranks #12,483 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,371 people with the surname Korb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,719), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Korb.
Has Korb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Korb went from 2,287 recorded bearers to 2,371. That is an increase of 84 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,334 to #12,483.
What does the Census say about the background of Korb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Korb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Korb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,180 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Korb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Korb (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 Korb mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a basket maker or weaver. 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 Korb (0.79 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 Korb?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.