Find out how popular the last name Kaan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kaan.

Kaan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kaan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kaan in America

Kaan is the 75317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kaan surname appeared 256 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kaan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kaan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kaan

The surname Kaan is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, with its earliest known roots tracing back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "kana," which means "one-eyed" or "having a squint." It's possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a distinctive physical feature.

Over time, the name spread across various regions of the Indian subcontinent and underwent slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. In ancient texts and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries, the name is sometimes recorded as "Kaan," "Kahn," or "Kahan."

One of the earliest known historical figures with the surname Kaan was Malik Kaan, a prominent military commander who served under the Delhi Sultanate in the late 13th century. His exploits and loyalty to the Sultan were widely documented in court records and chronicles of the time.

Another notable figure was Rana Kaan Singh, a ruler of the Mewar kingdom in present-day Rajasthan, who lived from 1508 to 1528. He is known for his bravery and resistance against the Mughal Empire during its early expansion.

In the 16th century, a village in the Punjab region of British India was known as "Kaan Pur," which translates to "Village of the Kaans." This place name suggests that a significant population with the Kaan surname resided in that area.

During the colonial era, several individuals with the Kaan surname served in the British Indian Army and played roles in various military campaigns. One such figure was Subedar Kaan Singh, who received the Indian Order of Merit for his valiant service during the First World War (1914-1918).

In more recent history, Harbhajan Singh Kaan was a prominent Indian field hockey player who represented India at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and won a gold medal. He was born in 1934 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of his era.

These examples demonstrate the long-standing presence and historical significance of the Kaan surname, originating in the Indian subcontinent and carrying a rich legacy across various regions and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kaan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kaan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kaan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kaan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kaan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kaan, please contact us.

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