2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kabe
A surname of Japanese origin, potentially derived from words meaning "plank" or "tile."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Kabe. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kabe 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Kabe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kabe, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (22.6%) and Two or More Races (9.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kabe
The surname KABE originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "kabe," meaning a small hut or cabin. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived in humble dwellings or those involved in the construction of such structures.
One of the earliest mentions of the KABE surname can be found in a 16th-century document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the modern-day state of Bavaria. The document refers to a certain Hans KABE, who was a local craftsman and woodworker.
In the 17th century, the KABE name appeared in various church records and parish registers across various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. Notable individuals from this period include Johann KABE (1625-1698), a renowned clockmaker from Leipzig, and Anna Maria KABE (1642-1712), a midwife from Erfurt.
As the KABE family spread across different parts of Germany, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as KABEN, KABEN, and KABEN. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local customs.
One of the most prominent figures associated with the KABE surname is Friedrich KABE (1782-1856), a German philosopher and writer who made significant contributions to the field of aesthetics. His works, including "The Essence of Criticism" and "On the Sublime," were widely acclaimed and influential during the Romantic period.
Another notable individual was Karl KABE (1848-1923), a German-born architect who emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. He was renowned for his design of several iconic buildings in Chicago, including the Auditorium Building and the Studebaker Theater.
In the 20th century, the KABE surname gained further recognition with the achievements of Hans KABE (1914-1998), a German-born American physicist who made significant contributions to the development of nuclear energy and was involved in the Manhattan Project during World War II.
While the KABE surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide insights into the origins and legacy of this surname within the context of German history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kabe
Among Census respondents with the surname Kabe, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (22.6%) and Two or More Races (9.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kabe 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 Kabe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.5% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander22.6% · 24
- Two or more races9.4% · 10
- Black or African American6.6% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kabe
Kabe 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-10 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,971 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 20,971 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,373 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 Kabe 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 | #159,712 | #152,339 | 4.6% |
| Count | 101 | 106 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kabe bearers went from 101 to 106 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,373 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,339.
FAQ
Kabe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kabe?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Kabe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Kabe?
Kabe ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Kabe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Kabe.
Has Kabe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kabe went from 101 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Kabe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kabe, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (22.6%) and Two or More Races (9.4%). 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 Kabe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.5% (61 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kabe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (22.6%), Two or More Races (9.4%). 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 Kabe (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 Kabe mean?
A surname of Japanese origin, potentially derived from words meaning "plank" or "tile." 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 Kabe (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 have the last name Kabe?
Want to know how common the surname Kabe is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.