2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Picher
A surname originating from the French word "picher", meaning a potter or maker of pitchers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Picher. 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 Picher 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 Picher 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 Picher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Picher
The surname Picher is believed to have originated in France, with its roots tracing back to the 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "pichier," which referred to someone who carried a pitcher or jug, possibly indicating an early occupation or trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Picher can be found in the Armorial Général de France, a collection of heraldic records compiled in the late 17th century. The Armorial Général de France mentions several families bearing the Picher surname, suggesting that the name was well-established by that time.
In the 16th century, there are records of a Jean Picher, a renowned French physician and writer, who lived from 1520 to 1590. His works on medical topics were widely read and influential during that period.
The Picher surname also appears in various historical documents from the 18th century, including parish records and census records from regions such as Normandy and Brittany in France. These records often provide insights into the lives and occupations of individuals bearing the Picher name.
One notable figure from history with the Picher surname was Jacques Picher, a French explorer and fur trader who lived from 1675 to 1741. He was one of the early French settlers in the Illinois Country and played a significant role in establishing trade relations with Native American tribes in the region.
Another individual of note was Pierre-Paul Picher, a French politician and lawyer who lived from 1738 to 1811. He served as a deputy in the Estates-General and later in the National Convention during the French Revolution, where he advocated for political reforms and the abolition of feudalism.
In the 19th century, the Picher surname gained prominence in the United States, particularly in areas with French-Canadian populations. One notable American with this surname was Charles Picher, a businessman and politician from Michigan who lived from 1830 to 1902. He served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives and was involved in various business ventures.
While the surname Picher has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with descendants carrying on the name in various countries and regions. However, the earliest records and historical references to the Picher surname can be traced back to its French origins, where it has a rich and diverse history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Picher
Among Census respondents with the surname Picher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Picher 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 Picher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Picher
Picher 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
#116,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
+16 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 3,501 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-29 bearers (-19.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,220 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #116,829 | 149 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 3,501 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-19.5%) | Down 25,220 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 Picher 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 | #116,829 | #142,049 | -21.6% |
| Count | 149 | 120 | -19.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Picher bearers went from 149 to 120 (-19.5% change). The surname moved down 25,220 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,829 to #142,049.
FAQ
Picher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Picher?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Picher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Picher?
Picher 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 Picher. 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 Picher.
Has Picher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Picher went from 149 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 29 (-19.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #116,829 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Picher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Picher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%). 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 Picher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Picher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (5.8%). 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 Picher (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 Picher mean?
A surname originating from the French word "picher", meaning a potter or maker of pitchers. 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 Picher (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 have the last name Picher?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Picher at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.