2000
#13,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Strecker
An occupational surname for a person who knits or manufactures stretchy garments like stockings or socks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,298 Americans carry the last name Strecker. That puts it at #14,358 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,153 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Strecker 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
2.3K
1 in 149,153
Census rank
#14,358
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,004 bearers of the surname Strecker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14358th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Strecker, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Strecker
The surname "STRECKER" is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was initially spelled as "Strecker" or variations such as "Streker" and "Streckher."
The name is derived from the German word "strecken," which means "to stretch" or "to extend." It is likely that the name was initially given as an occupational surname to individuals who worked as stretchers or those involved in the production of textiles or leather goods, where the process of stretching materials was a crucial task.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae," a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 14th century. This document references a certain "Henricus Strecker" from the city of Leipzig in the year 1372.
Another notable early reference comes from the "Stadtbuch von München" (City Book of Munich), where a "Cunrat Strecker" is mentioned in the year 1394. This record suggests that individuals bearing the name had already established a presence in the prominent city of Munich by the late 14th century.
In the 15th century, a prominent individual named Hans Strecker (1430-1492) was a respected merchant and civic leader in the city of Nuremberg. His legacy is recorded in the city's archives, and he is noted for his contributions to the local guild system and trade regulations.
During the 16th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of Johann Strecker (1509-1579), a German Lutheran theologian and reformer who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg and was a contemporary of Martin Luther.
In the 17th century, a notable figure was Georg Strecker (1621-1701), a German jurist and scholar who served as a professor of law at the University of Leipzig and authored several influential legal treatises.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it also found its way into other parts of Europe through migration and trade. For example, in the 18th century, a family by the name of Strecker settled in the Netherlands, where they were involved in the textile industry.
While the surname "STRECKER" has its roots in Germany, it has since become more widespread and can be found in various parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant German immigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the German-speaking regions of Europe during the medieval and early modern periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Strecker
Among Census respondents with the surname Strecker, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Strecker 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 Strecker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 1,878
- Two or more races3.0% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Strecker
Strecker 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
#12,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,452
+347 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 669 places
2020
#14,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,004
-448 bearers (-18.3%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,736 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,291 | 2,105 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,622 | 2,452 | 0.83 | +347 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 669 places |
| 2020 | #14,358 | 2,004 | 0.67 | -448 bearers (-18.3%) | Down 1,736 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 Strecker 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 | #12,622 | #14,358 | -13.8% |
| Count | 2,452 | 2,004 | -18.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.67 | -19.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Strecker bearers went from 2,452 to 2,004 (-18.3% change). The surname moved down 1,736 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,622 to #14,358.
FAQ
Strecker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Strecker?
Name Census estimates that about 2,298 living Americans carry the surname Strecker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,153 residents.
How common is Strecker?
Strecker ranks #14,358 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,004 people with the surname Strecker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,298), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Strecker.
Has Strecker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Strecker went from 2,452 recorded bearers to 2,004. That is a decrease of 448 (-18.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,622 to #14,358.
What does the Census say about the background of Strecker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Strecker, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Strecker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (1,878 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Strecker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Strecker (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 Strecker mean?
An occupational surname for a person who knits or manufactures stretchy garments like stockings or socks. 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 Strecker (0.67 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 Strecker?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Strecker on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.