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

Kafka, 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 Kafka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kafka in America

Kafka is the 16761st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kafka surname appeared 1,705 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kafka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kafka 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 Kafka

The surname Kafka originated in the Czech Republic, stemming from the old Slavic word "kokot," meaning rooster. It is believed to have first appeared in the 9th or 10th century in the region of Bohemia, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time.

The name was likely initially used as a nickname for someone with rooster-like qualities or characteristics. Over time, it evolved into a hereditary surname passed down through generations. Some early variations of the spelling included Kokot, Kokota, and Kokotka.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kafka can be found in the Liber Vetustissimus Antiquae Civitatis Pragensis, a 14th-century manuscript that served as a record of property ownership and legal disputes in Prague. The name appears several times in this document, indicating that families bearing the surname were established in the city during that period.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Jan Kafka (1501-1583) was a prominent Czech humanist scholar and rector of the University of Prague. He played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of Bohemia during the Renaissance era.

Another historically relevant individual was Václav Kafka (1609-1694), a Czech Catholic priest and theologian. He served as a canon of the Vyšehrad Chapter and authored several religious works during the Baroque period.

The 19th century saw the birth of the famous writer Franz Kafka (1883-1924), whose literary works, such as "The Metamorphosis" and "The Trial," have had a lasting impact on world literature. He was born in Prague to a Jewish family with German-speaking roots, and his surname is believed to have originated from the Czech version of the name.

Another notable figure was the philosopher and sociologist Ernst Kafka (1889-1953), who was born in Bohemia but later immigrated to the United States. He taught at several universities and made significant contributions to the field of social theory.

Throughout history, the surname Kafka has been found in various regions of the Czech Republic, as well as parts of Germany and other Central European countries where Czech communities settled. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Slavic lands of Bohemia, where it first emerged as a descriptive nickname for someone with rooster-like qualities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kafka

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

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

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

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