2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Racker
A surname derived from words meaning "one who clears land or thickets".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Racker. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Racker 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Racker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Racker, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Racker
The surname RACKER is believed to have originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Racker," which means "torturer" or "executioner." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as an executioner or torturer, perhaps in a medieval court or prison.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RACKER can be found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in Bavaria, Germany. In 1589, a man named Hans RACKER was recorded as a resident of the town. It's possible that this individual or his ancestors may have worked as executioners or torturers in the region.
The RACKER name also appears in some historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries in other parts of Germany. For example, in 1673, a man named Johann RACKER was listed as a resident of the town of Kirchheim unter Teck in Baden-Württemberg. Additionally, in 1752, a woman named Maria RACKER was recorded as living in the town of Heidenheim an der Brenz, also in Baden-Württemberg.
While the RACKER name is not particularly common, there are a few notable individuals throughout history who bore this surname. One such person was Johann Baptist RACKER, a German composer and organist who lived from 1755 to 1830. He was known for his works for the organ and church music.
Another notable RACKER was Karl RACKER, a German painter who lived from 1826 to 1891. He was known for his landscapes and genre scenes, and his works were exhibited in several cities across Germany.
In the 19th century, there was also a German writer and journalist named Friedrich RACKER, who lived from 1854 to 1927. He wrote numerous articles and books on various topics, including politics, history, and literature.
Additionally, in the late 19th century, a man named Johann RACKER was a prominent businessman and industrialist in the city of Stuttgart, Germany. He owned several factories and played a significant role in the city's economic development during that time.
While the name RACKER is not as common today as it once was, it has a rich history and cultural significance, particularly in Germany, where it originated and has been documented for several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Racker
Among Census respondents with the surname Racker, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Racker 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 Racker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 86
- Black or African American8.7% · 9
- Two or more races5.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Racker
Racker 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-11 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,325 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-23 bearers (-18.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,319 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 16,325 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -23 bearers (-18.3%) | Down 20,319 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 Racker 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 | #133,863 | #154,182 | -15.2% |
| Count | 126 | 103 | -18.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Racker bearers went from 126 to 103 (-18.3% change). The surname moved down 20,319 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #154,182.
FAQ
Racker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Racker?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Racker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Racker?
Racker ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Racker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Racker.
Has Racker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Racker went from 126 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 23 (-18.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Racker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Racker, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Racker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Racker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Black (8.7%), Two or More Races (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 Racker (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 Racker mean?
A surname derived from words meaning "one who clears land or thickets". 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 Racker (0.03 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 Racker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.