Explore the Family Name Karki

The meaning of Karki

1. Finnish (Kärki): habitational name from farms so named in western Finland, from kärki ‘peak, point’, with reference to their location. In eastern Finland, it is recorded as a hereditary surname since the 16th century, containing possibly the word kärki from palokärki ‘black woodpecker’. Adopted also as an ornamental name by Finns without surnames in the 19th century. 2. Nepali: name found among Chhetris (see Chhetri), an occupational name from Nepali karki ‘tax official’, an agent noun derivative of kar ‘tax’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Karki in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Karki has seen a significant increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 54,522 in terms of commonness among surnames and jumped to rank 19,782 by 2010. This represents an impressive change of approximately 63.72%. Additionally, the count of people with this surname rose from 354 in 2000 to 1,360 in 2010. As a result, the proportion of individuals with the Karki surname per 100k increased by 253.85% in the span of a decade.

20002010Change
Rank#54,522#19,78263.72%
Count3541,360284.18%
Proportion per 100k0.130.46253.85%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Karki

When examining the ethnic identities associated with the Karki surname based on the Decennial U.S. Census, there was a notable shift between 2000 to 2010. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander held the surname Karki at a rate of 46.89% in 2000, which grew to 82.65% by 2010. This signifies a considerable increase of 76.26%. On the other hand, those identifying as White made up 40.96% of Karkis in 2000, which dropped to 13.16% by 2010, marking a decrease of 67.87%. The data also indicates a decrease among those having two or more races, from 11.30% in 2000 to 3.31% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentages of Karkis identifying as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native were minimal or non-existent in both years.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander46.89%82.65%76.26%
White40.96%13.16%-67.87%
Two or More Races11.3%3.31%-70.71%
Hispanic0%0.44%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%