2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Semsch
A German surname derived from the Old High German "semithi" meaning servant or henchman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Semsch. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Semsch 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Semsch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Semsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Semsch
The surname SEMSCH is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, specifically in the areas that now comprise modern-day Germany and Switzerland. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name SEMSCH can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the medieval Saxon territories. In this collection, there is a reference to a person named "Semsche" from the year 1327, suggesting that the name was already in use at that time.
The name SEMSCH is thought to have derived from the Germanic root word "sem," which means "half" or "partial." It is possible that the name originally referred to someone who lived in a semi-isolated or partially secluded area, or perhaps someone who owned a portion of land or property.
In the 15th century, there are records of a family named SEMSCH residing in the town of Rottweil, located in the modern-day state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This family played a significant role in the local community and held influential positions within the town's administration.
One notable figure bearing the SEMSCH surname was Johannes SEMSCH, a German scholar and theologian who lived from 1524 to 1597. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and served as a professor at the University of Tübingen.
Another individual of note was Christoph SEMSCH, born in 1668 in the town of Bräunlingen, located in the Black Forest region of Germany. He was a skilled craftsman and woodcarver, renowned for his intricate and detailed work on religious sculptures and altarpieces.
In the late 18th century, a man named Friedrich SEMSCH (1756-1818) gained recognition as a talented landscape painter. His works, depicting the picturesque countryside of southern Germany, were highly regarded during his lifetime and are still celebrated by art historians today.
The SEMSCH surname also has a presence in Switzerland, where it is believed to have been introduced by German settlers in the 16th or 17th century. One notable Swiss figure was Anna SEMSCH (1838-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights.
Throughout its history, the SEMSCH surname has maintained a strong connection to its German and Swiss roots, with many bearers of the name still residing in these regions today. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its origins remain deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic heritage of Central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Semsch
Among Census respondents with the surname Semsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Semsch 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 Semsch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Semsch
Semsch 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 67 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Down 67 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,441 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 Semsch 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 | #147,954 | 1.0% |
| Count | 110 | 112 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Semsch bearers went from 110 to 112 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,441 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #147,954.
FAQ
Semsch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Semsch?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Semsch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Semsch?
Semsch ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Semsch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Semsch.
Has Semsch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Semsch went from 110 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Semsch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Semsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Semsch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Semsch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (8.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Semsch (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 Semsch mean?
A German surname derived from the Old High German "semithi" meaning servant or henchman. 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 Semsch (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 are called Semsch?
See how many Americans have the surname Semsch on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.