2000
#88,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Norkin
A surname of possible Russian or Jewish origin, derived from the root "nor" meaning "cave" or "lair."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 211 Americans carry the last name Norkin. That puts it at #103,857 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,624,428 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Norkin 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
211
1 in 1,624,428
Census rank
#103,857
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
184
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 184 bearers of the surname Norkin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 103857th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Norkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Norkin
The surname NORKIN is of Russian origin, and it is believed to have originated in the 16th or 17th century. The name is derived from the Russian word "norka," which means "mink." It is likely that the name was originally given to someone who worked with mink fur or was associated with the mink trade in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname NORKIN can be found in the census records of the Russian Empire from the late 18th century. The name was particularly common in the regions of Smolensk and Pskov, which were known for their fur trade and mink populations.
In the 19th century, the NORKIN surname began to spread beyond Russia as many Russian families emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable individual with the surname NORKIN was Ivan Norkin (1856-1922), a Russian merchant and philanthropist who established several schools and hospitals in his hometown of Smolensk.
Another notable figure was Ekaterina Norkin (1885-1967), a Russian-born American writer and translator who played a significant role in introducing Russian literature to English-speaking audiences. She was born in Moscow and immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century.
In the 20th century, the NORKIN surname gained recognition in the field of science. Mikhail Norkin (1909-1994) was a Soviet physicist who made significant contributions to the study of low-temperature physics and superconductivity. He was awarded the prestigious Stalin Prize in 1949 for his research.
Another notable individual with the NORKIN surname was Yuri Norkin (1937-2017), a Russian chess grandmaster and author. He was a prominent figure in the Soviet chess scene and wrote several books on chess strategy and tactics.
While the surname NORKIN is not among the most common Russian surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Norkin
Among Census respondents with the surname Norkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Norkin 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 Norkin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 174
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
- Two or more races0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Norkin
Norkin 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
#104,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
-23 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 15,777 places
2020
#103,857
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 184
+13 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 745 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #88,825 | 194 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #104,602 | 171 | 0.06 | -23 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 15,777 places |
| 2020 | #103,857 | 184 | 0.06 | +13 bearers (+7.6%) | Up 745 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 Norkin 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 | #104,602 | #103,857 | 0.7% |
| Count | 171 | 184 | 7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Norkin bearers went from 171 to 184 (+7.6% change). The surname moved up 745 positions in the national ranking, going from #104,602 to #103,857.
FAQ
Norkin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Norkin?
Name Census estimates that about 211 living Americans carry the surname Norkin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,624,428 residents.
How common is Norkin?
Norkin ranks #103,857 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 184 people with the surname Norkin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (211), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Norkin.
Has Norkin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Norkin went from 171 recorded bearers to 184. That is an increase of 13 (+7.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #104,602 to #103,857.
What does the Census say about the background of Norkin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Norkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Norkin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (174 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Norkin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Hispanic (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Norkin (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 Norkin mean?
A surname of possible Russian or Jewish origin, derived from the root "nor" meaning "cave" or "lair." 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 Norkin (0.06 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 Norkin?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Norkin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.