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

Kae, 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 Kae surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kae in America

Kae is the 103181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kae surname appeared 174 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 Kae.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kae 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 Kae

The surname "Kae" is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "kae," which means "jackdaw" or "crow." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone who had a resemblance to these birds or perhaps lived in an area where they were prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town of Nürnberg, where a certain Hans Kae was listed as a resident in 1542. Another early reference is found in the records of the city of Köln, where a family by the name of Kae is mentioned in a document from 1587.

During the 17th century, the name began to spread beyond the borders of Germany, with some notable bearers appearing in neighboring countries. For example, in the Netherlands, a merchant named Pieter Kae was born in Amsterdam in 1624 and became a prominent figure in the city's trading circles.

In the 18th century, the name made its way to the British Isles, where it underwent various spelling variations. In Scotland, a family with the surname "Kay" can be traced back to the village of Arbroath in 1732, where a John Kay was born. It is possible that this Scottish variation of the name may have derived from the same German root.

One of the most famous individuals to bear the surname "Kae" was the German philosopher and writer Johann Gottlieb Fichte, who was born in 1762 in the village of Rammenau. Fichte is widely regarded as one of the founding figures of German idealism and made significant contributions to the fields of ethics, political philosophy, and nationalism.

Another notable bearer of the name was the French painter and printmaker Camille Pissarro, whose paternal ancestor, Abraham Gabriel Pissarro, was born in 1748 on the island of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies. Although the family's surname was originally spelled "Kae," it underwent a change during their time in the Caribbean.

In the 19th century, the name "Kae" continued to spread across Europe, with notable bearers emerging in various countries. In Denmark, a prominent figure was the writer and theologian Søren Aaby Kierkegaard, whose maternal grandmother's maiden name was "Kae."

As the centuries progressed, the name "Kae" and its various spellings continued to be found in historical records across Europe and beyond, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who carried this surname. While its origins may be rooted in a humble German nickname, the name has since become a part of the rich tapestry of global heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kae

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

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 Kae 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 Kae 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 Kae was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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