2000
#113,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Matschke
A German surname derived from the Middle Low German word "matsche", meaning a marsh or swamp.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Matschke. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matschke 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Matschke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matschke, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matschke
The surname Matschke originated in Germany, most likely in the late 15th or early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Matsche," which refers to mud or a muddy area. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a swampy or marshy region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Matschke can be found in the parish records of the town of Kleinpörthen, located in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The record, dated 1587, mentions a certain Hans Matschke, a farmer in the area.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various documents from the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. The Matschke family seemed to have been well-established in the town of Reichenbach, with several members working as weavers and tradesmen.
A notable figure bearing the Matschke name was Johann Gottfried Matschke, born in 1753 in the village of Neundorf, near the city of Görlitz. He was a respected theologian and author, known for his writings on religious philosophy and ethics.
Another prominent individual was Karl Matschke, born in 1860 in the town of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland). He was a renowned architect and urban planner, responsible for the design of several notable buildings and public spaces in the city.
The name Matschke can also be traced back to the village of Matschken (now called Mączki), located in the former East Prussia region of Germany (now part of Poland). It is possible that the surname derived from this place name, which itself may have originated from the German word "Matsche."
In the 19th century, several individuals with the surname Matschke made their mark in various fields. Heinrich Matschke, born in 1824 in Breslau, was a respected physician and professor of medicine at the University of Breslau.
Additionally, Gustav Matschke, born in 1849 in the town of Glogau (now Głogów, Poland), was a pioneering engineer and inventor. He is credited with designing and building one of the first successful gasoline-powered automobiles in Germany.
Throughout its history, the surname Matschke has been associated with various occupations, including farming, weaving, theology, architecture, medicine, and engineering, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matschke
Among Census respondents with the surname Matschke, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Matschke 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 Matschke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matschke
Matschke 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-19 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,074 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #113,519 | 143 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 22,074 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,677 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 Matschke 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 | #135,593 | #144,270 | -6.4% |
| Count | 124 | 117 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matschke bearers went from 124 to 117 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #144,270.
FAQ
Matschke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matschke?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Matschke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Matschke?
Matschke ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Matschke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Matschke.
Has Matschke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matschke went from 124 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Matschke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matschke, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Matschke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matschke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Matschke (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 Matschke mean?
A German surname derived from the Middle Low German word "matsche", meaning a marsh or swamp. 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 Matschke (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 Americans have the surname Matschke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.