2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Seckar
An Americanized spelling of the Polish surname Sieckar, meaning a miller or one who works with cereal grains.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Seckar. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seckar 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Seckar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seckar, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seckar
The surname "SECKAR" is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the German word "secker," which means "tax collector" or "toll collector." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in collecting taxes or tolls on behalf of local authorities or landowners.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Liber Censuum, a medieval census record compiled in the 13th century by the papal administration. The name appears as "Seckarius," which is a Latin variation of the German "Seckar."
In the 15th century, there are records of a family named Seckar residing in the town of Nuremberg, which was a prominent center of trade and commerce during that time. It is possible that members of this family were involved in collecting taxes or tolls on goods passing through the city.
A notable figure bearing the Seckar surname was Hans Seckar (c. 1510-1578), a German artist and engraver who was active in Nuremberg during the Renaissance. He is known for his intricate woodcut illustrations, which adorned many books and publications of his era.
Another individual of note was Johann Seckar (1633-1707), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig. He authored several scholarly works on topics such as logic, metaphysics, and natural philosophy.
In the 18th century, a merchant named Friedrich Seckar (1725-1792) gained prominence in the city of Hamburg. He was a successful trader and businessman, and his name appears in various commercial records and documents from that period.
During the 19th century, a German immigrant named Wilhelm Seckar (1820-1892) settled in the United States, where he established a successful farming operation in the Midwest. He is believed to have been one of the first bearers of the Seckar name in North America.
Throughout its history, the surname "SECKAR" has maintained its connection to its German roots, with variations in spelling and pronunciation occurring as the name spread to different regions and cultures over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seckar
Among Census respondents with the surname Seckar, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Seckar 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 Seckar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.1% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seckar
Seckar 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-9 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,904 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-13 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,922 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 17,904 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 7,922 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 Seckar 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 | #148,347 | #156,269 | -5.3% |
| Count | 111 | 98 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seckar bearers went from 111 to 98 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 7,922 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #156,269.
FAQ
Seckar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seckar?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Seckar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Seckar?
Seckar ranks #156,269 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 98 people with the surname Seckar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), 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 Seckar.
Has Seckar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seckar went from 111 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Seckar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seckar, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Seckar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seckar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.1%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Seckar (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 Seckar mean?
An Americanized spelling of the Polish surname Sieckar, meaning a miller or one who works with cereal grains. 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 Seckar (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 people have the last name Seckar?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Seckar at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.