2000
#64,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 289
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Verch
A surname from Ukrainian or Russian indicating a female.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 341 Americans carry the last name Verch. That puts it at #70,918 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,005,145 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Verch 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
341
1 in 1,005,145
Census rank
#70,918
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
297
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 297 bearers of the surname Verch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 70918th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Verch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Verch
The surname "VERCH" is believed to have originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "verch," which referred to a young sow or a piglet. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone involved in pig farming or the pork trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "VERCH" appears in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Rottenburg am Neckar in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In these records, a Hans Verch is mentioned in the year 1482, indicating that the name was already in use at that time.
Interestingly, the surname "VERCH" appears to have been particularly prevalent in the Rhineland region of Germany, with several references to individuals bearing this name found in historical records from cities like Cologne and Bonn. For instance, a certain Johann Verch is listed in the Bürgermeisterbuch (Mayor's Book) of Cologne from the year 1524.
In the 16th century, the name "VERCH" also made its way into the historical records of neighboring regions, such as the Netherlands. One notable example is that of Pieter Verch, a Dutch merchant who lived in Amsterdam in the late 1500s and is mentioned in various trade documents from that period.
As the centuries passed, the surname "VERCH" continued to spread across Europe, with individuals bearing this name appearing in records from countries like France, Switzerland, and even as far as Poland and Russia. One notable figure was Friedrich Verch, a German philosopher and writer who was born in 1790 in Weimar and is known for his works on aesthetics and literary criticism.
Another individual of note was Theodor Verch, a German painter and illustrator who lived from 1831 to 1900. His works, which often depicted scenes from German folklore and mythology, are celebrated for their intricate detail and vivid imagination.
In the 19th century, the surname "VERCH" also found its way across the Atlantic, with families bearing this name settling in various parts of North America. One such individual was Johann Verch, a German immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1842 and eventually settled in Pennsylvania, where he worked as a farmer.
Overall, the surname "VERCH" has a rich and diverse history, reflecting the travels and migrations of those who bore it over the centuries. While its origins may be humble, rooted in the rural landscapes of medieval Germany, the name has persisted and spread across continents, leaving its mark on the tapestry of human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Verch
Among Census respondents with the surname Verch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Verch 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 Verch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 282
- Two or more races2.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 6
- Black or African American0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Verch
Verch 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
#76,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 253
-36 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 11,644 places
2020
#70,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 297
+44 bearers (+17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 5,111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #64,385 | 289 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #76,029 | 253 | 0.09 | -36 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 11,644 places |
| 2020 | #70,918 | 297 | 0.10 | +44 bearers (+17.4%) | Up 5,111 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 Verch 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 | #76,029 | #70,918 | 6.7% |
| Count | 253 | 297 | 17.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.10 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Verch bearers went from 253 to 297 (+17.4% change). The surname moved up 5,111 positions in the national ranking, going from #76,029 to #70,918.
FAQ
Verch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Verch?
Name Census estimates that about 341 living Americans carry the surname Verch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,005,145 residents.
How common is Verch?
Verch ranks #70,918 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 297 people with the surname Verch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (341), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Verch.
Has Verch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Verch went from 253 recorded bearers to 297. That is an increase of 44 (+17.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #76,029 to #70,918.
What does the Census say about the background of Verch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Verch, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Verch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (282 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Verch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (2.4%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Verch (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 Verch mean?
A surname from Ukrainian or Russian indicating a female. 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 Verch (0.10 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 surname Verch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.