2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pelcha
A surname of Polish 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 Pelcha. 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 Pelcha 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 Pelcha 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 Pelcha, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pelcha
The surname Pelcha is believed to have originated in the region of present-day Poland and the Czech Republic. It likely derives from the Slavic word "pelka," which means "rock" or "boulder." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a rocky area or worked with stones.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pelcha can be found in a 14th-century document from the town of Krakow, Poland. This document mentions a certain Jan Pelcha, who was a stonemason and resident of the city.
In the 16th century, the Pelcha name appears in several records from the Silesian region, which was then part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. These records include references to a family of landowners and nobles who held estates in the area. A notable member of this family was Ignacy Pelcha (1530-1604), who served as a military commander and played a role in the Hussite Wars.
During the 17th century, the Pelcha surname spread to other parts of Central Europe, including Germany and Austria. One prominent individual with this name was Johann Pelcha (1625-1701), a German scholar and theologian who wrote extensively on religious topics.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Pelcha family settled in the region of Galicia, which was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. A notable figure from this period was Tadeusz Pelcha (1765-1832), who served as a general in the Polish army and fought against the Russian Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.
Another significant bearer of the Pelcha name was Franciszek Pelcha (1836-1918), a Polish painter and illustrator who was renowned for his depictions of historical scenes and landscapes. His works can be found in several museums and galleries throughout Poland.
Throughout its history, the Pelcha surname has maintained a strong presence in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in areas with significant Polish and Czech populations. While it may not be as widely recognized as some other surnames, it has a rich and varied history that spans several centuries and encompasses individuals from various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pelcha
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelcha, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pelcha 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 Pelcha surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 7
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pelcha
Pelcha appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+10 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,346 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 7,346 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 Pelcha 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 | #149,395 | #142,049 | 4.9% |
| Count | 110 | 120 | 9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pelcha bearers went from 110 to 120 (+9.1% change). The surname moved up 7,346 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #142,049.
FAQ
Pelcha surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pelcha?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Pelcha. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Pelcha?
Pelcha 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 Pelcha. 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 Pelcha.
Has Pelcha become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pelcha went from 110 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 10 (+9.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Pelcha?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelcha, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Pelcha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pelcha appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Pelcha (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 Pelcha mean?
A surname of Polish 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 Pelcha (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 common is the surname Pelcha?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Pelcha, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.