2000
#7,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Korte
A German and Dutch surname derived from the Middle High German word "kort" or "kurz," meaning "short" or "small."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,027 Americans carry the last name Korte. That puts it at #7,327 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,183 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Korte 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
5.0K
1 in 68,183
Census rank
#7,327
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,384 bearers of the surname Korte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7327th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Korte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Korte
The surname "KORTE" is of Dutch origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Dutch word "kort," meaning short or small. The name was likely given as a nickname or description of someone's physical stature or height.
The earliest recorded use of the name "KORTE" can be found in Dutch historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. In these records, the name appears with various spellings, such as "Kort," "Korte," and "Kortte." The name was particularly prevalent in the provinces of Holland and Utrecht, where many families with this surname were established.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "KORTE" was Jan Korte, a merchant who lived in Amsterdam in the late 15th century. Another notable individual was Pieter Korte, a Dutch painter born in Antwerp in 1565, known for his religious and historical paintings.
In the 17th century, the name "KORTE" is mentioned in the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), as several sailors and traders with this surname were employed by the company during its voyages to Asia and the East Indies.
During the Dutch Golden Age, a prominent family with the surname "KORTE" was the Korte family from Leiden. This family produced several scholars, artists, and intellectuals, including Dirck Korte (1614-1680), a renowned painter and engraver.
Another notable figure was Adriaen Korte (1618-1698), a Dutch mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of calculus and the theory of equations.
As the Dutch colonial empire expanded, the surname "KORTE" spread to other parts of the world, including the Dutch settlements in South Africa and the Dutch West Indies. For example, Cornelis Korte (1735-1810) was a Dutch colonial administrator and governor of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia).
While the surname "KORTE" has its roots in the Netherlands, it has also been adopted by families in other countries, such as Germany, Belgium, and the United States, where Dutch immigrants settled and assimilated over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Korte
Among Census respondents with the surname Korte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Korte 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 Korte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 4,051
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 155
- Two or more races2.9% · 125
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
- Black or African American0.5% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Korte
Korte 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
#7,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,436
+154 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 319 places
2020
#7,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,384
-52 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Up 178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,186 | 4,282 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,505 | 4,436 | 1.50 | +154 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 319 places |
| 2020 | #7,327 | 4,384 | 1.47 | -52 bearers (-1.2%) | Up 178 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 Korte 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 | #7,505 | #7,327 | 2.4% |
| Count | 4,436 | 4,384 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.47 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Korte bearers went from 4,436 to 4,384 (-1.2% change). The surname moved up 178 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,505 to #7,327.
FAQ
Korte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Korte?
Name Census estimates that about 5,027 living Americans carry the surname Korte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,183 residents.
How common is Korte?
Korte ranks #7,327 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.47 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 4,384 people with the surname Korte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.47 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 Korte.
Has Korte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Korte went from 4,436 recorded bearers to 4,384. That is a decrease of 52 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,505 to #7,327.
What does the Census say about the background of Korte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Korte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Korte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (4,051 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Korte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Korte (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 Korte mean?
A German and Dutch surname derived from the Middle High German word "kort" or "kurz," meaning "short" or "small." 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 Korte (1.47 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 Korte?
See how many Americans have the surname Korte on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.