2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Niksch
A surname of German origin possibly derived from a place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Niksch. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Niksch 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Niksch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Niksch, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Niksch
The surname NIKSCH is of Polish origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the regions of modern-day western Poland, particularly in the areas around the city of Wroclaw. The name likely derives from the Slavic word "nik," which means "conqueror" or "victor."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the NIKSCH surname can be found in a collection of 15th-century Polish court records from the town of Legnica. In these documents, a man named Jakub Niksch is mentioned as a landowner and local nobleman. Additionally, the NIKSCH name appears in several 16th-century parish registers from villages near Wroclaw.
During the 17th century, the NIKSCH surname began to spread beyond its original geographic boundaries. Historical records from this period show individuals bearing the name in various parts of Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. One notable figure was Jan Niksch (1633-1698), a Polish-born Jesuit priest who taught at the University of Prague and authored several theological works.
In the 18th century, the NIKSCH name gained prominence in the field of education. Józef Niksch (1742-1819) was a renowned Polish educator and linguist who founded several schools in the Silesian region. He was also a prolific writer and published numerous textbooks on grammar and language instruction.
The 19th century saw the NIKSCH surname spread further across Europe and even to the Americas. Antoni Niksch (1823-1892) was a Polish-born engineer who played a significant role in the construction of railroads in the United States. Another notable figure from this era was Karolina Niksch (1849-1912), a Polish-German author and women's rights activist.
One of the most famous individuals to bear the NIKSCH surname was the Polish writer and journalist Stanisław Niksch (1879-1953). He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of pre-World War II Warsaw and served as the editor of several influential Polish newspapers and magazines.
While the NIKSCH surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich and diverse history spanning multiple countries and centuries. From its humble beginnings in medieval Poland to its spread across Europe and the Americas, the name has been associated with various fields, including education, religion, engineering, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Niksch
Among Census respondents with the surname Niksch, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Niksch 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 Niksch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 114
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Niksch
Niksch 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+13 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,591 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,821 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 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 3,591 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,821 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 Niksch 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 | #139,228 | #142,049 | -2.0% |
| Count | 120 | 120 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Niksch bearers went from 120 to 120 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #142,049.
FAQ
Niksch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Niksch?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Niksch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Niksch?
Niksch ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Niksch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Niksch.
Has Niksch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Niksch went from 120 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Niksch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Niksch, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Niksch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Niksch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Black (1.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Niksch (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 Niksch mean?
A surname of German origin possibly derived from a place name or occupation. 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 Niksch (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 share the surname Niksch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.