2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kuharich
A surname of Croatian origin meaning "cook" or related to cooking.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Kuharich. 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 Kuharich 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 Kuharich 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 Kuharich, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuharich
The surname Kuharich is of Croatian origin, originating from the region of Dalmatia along the Adriatic coast. It likely derives from the Croatian word "kuhar," meaning "cook" or "chef." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a cook, either in a household or for the nobility.
The earliest recorded instances of the Kuharich surname date back to the late 15th century in the coastal town of Split, where it appears in various municipal records and church registers. During this period, the name was often spelled as "Kuharich," "Kuharić," or "Cucharich," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling conventions.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Kuharich name was Ivan Kuharich, born in Split in 1487. He was a respected chef who worked in the household of a prominent Venetian merchant family, and his culinary skills were highly praised in local chronicles of the time.
In the 17th century, the Kuharich family expanded their presence across Dalmatia, with several members holding notable positions in the local government and church. For example, Jure Kuharich (1621-1698) was a respected magistrate in the town of Šibenik, known for his fair and impartial rulings.
As the Croatian diaspora spread across Europe and the Americas, the Kuharich surname traveled with them. Notably, Nikola Kuharich (1842-1912) was a Croatian-American entrepreneur who established a successful bakery business in San Francisco, contributing to the city's culinary landscape.
Another prominent figure was Marija Kuharich (1875-1949), a Croatian writer and poet who gained recognition for her works celebrating the beauty of Dalmatia and its rich cultural heritage. Her poetry collections, such as "Primorska Vila" (The Coastal Fairy), are considered classics of Croatian literature.
In more recent history, Joseph Kuharich (1917-2001) was an American football coach and executive who served as the head coach for several NFL teams, including the Chicago Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was also the general manager for the New Orleans Saints and is remembered for his contributions to the sport.
Throughout its history, the Kuharich surname has maintained its connection to its Croatian roots, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Dalmatian region and the diverse contributions of its bearers across various fields and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuharich
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuharich, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuharich 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 Kuharich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuharich
Kuharich 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,415 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,788 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 14,415 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 7,788 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 Kuharich 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 | #157,234 | #149,446 | 5.0% |
| Count | 103 | 110 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuharich bearers went from 103 to 110 (+6.8% change). The surname moved up 7,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #149,446.
FAQ
Kuharich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuharich?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Kuharich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Kuharich?
Kuharich 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 Kuharich. 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 Kuharich.
Has Kuharich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuharich went from 103 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 7 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuharich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuharich, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Kuharich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuharich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Kuharich (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 Kuharich mean?
A surname of Croatian origin meaning "cook" or related to cooking. 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 Kuharich (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 Kuharich?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Kuharich is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.