2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Korkus
A surname derived from the Polish word "korkus" meaning nook or corner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Korkus. 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 Korkus 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 Korkus 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 Korkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Korkus
The surname KORKUS originates from Poland, with its roots traced back to the early 17th century. It is derived from the Polish word "korkus," which means "a person who makes or sells corks." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers were likely involved in the cork-making trade or had some association with it.
KORKUS is believed to have first emerged in the region of Silesia, an area that was historically part of Poland but is now divided between modern-day Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. The name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to individuals involved in the cork industry or a reference to a specific location associated with cork production.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KORKUS surname can be found in the parish records of Wrocław (formerly known as Breslau), a city in southwestern Poland. These records, dating back to the mid-17th century, document the presence of individuals bearing the KORKUS name.
In the 18th century, the KORKUS surname appears in the historical records of the nearby town of Opole, where a certain Jan KORKUS was listed as a landowner and prominent citizen. This suggests that by this time, the KORKUS family had established itself as a notable presence in the region.
Notable individuals with the KORKUS surname throughout history include:
1. Michał KORKUS (1792-1867), a Polish poet and writer who gained recognition for his patriotic works during the Polish Romantic period.
2. Franciszek KORKUS (1825-1892), a Polish engineer and inventor who contributed to the development of early steam engine designs.
3. Helena KORKUS (1888-1968), a Polish-born American artist known for her vibrant landscape paintings depicting scenes from her native country.
4. Kazimierz KORKUS (1916-2005), a Polish military officer who served in the Polish Armed Forces during World War II and later became a prominent historian.
5. Andrzej KORKUS (born 1952), a contemporary Polish composer and musician celebrated for his innovative works in the field of contemporary classical music.
While the KORKUS name has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to migration and the diaspora of Polish communities over the centuries. The surname continues to be a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and historical significance associated with its origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Korkus
Among Census respondents with the surname Korkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Korkus 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 Korkus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 107
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Korkus
Korkus 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+10 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 489 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-12 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 489 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 12,119 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 Korkus 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 | #137,327 | #149,446 | -8.8% |
| Count | 122 | 110 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Korkus bearers went from 122 to 110 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 12,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #149,446.
FAQ
Korkus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Korkus?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Korkus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Korkus?
Korkus 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 Korkus. 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 Korkus.
Has Korkus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Korkus went from 122 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Korkus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Korkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (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 Korkus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Korkus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Two or More Races (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 Korkus (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 Korkus mean?
A surname derived from the Polish word "korkus" meaning nook or corner. 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 Korkus (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 common is the surname Korkus?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Korkus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.