2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kahawai
A surname derived from the Hawaiian word for a type of fish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Kahawai. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kahawai 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Kahawai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kahawai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (33.1%) and Hispanic (13.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kahawai
The surname "KAHAWAI" is believed to have originated from the Maori language of New Zealand. It is likely derived from the Maori word "kahawai," which refers to a type of fish found in the coastal waters of New Zealand, the Australian salmon or sea trout.
This surname is believed to have emerged during the early colonial period in New Zealand, when Maori individuals began adopting European-style surnames. The name may have been adopted by individuals or families who had a connection to fishing or lived in coastal areas where the kahawai fish was prevalent.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "KAHAWAI" can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries in New Zealand. One notable person with this surname was Tame Kahawai, a Maori leader and activist who lived from 1865 to 1939. He was a prominent figure in the fight for Maori land rights and the preservation of Maori culture.
Another notable figure with the surname "KAHAWAI" was Rangi Kahawai, a Maori artist and carver who lived from 1932 to 2010. He was renowned for his intricate wood carvings and his contributions to the revival of traditional Maori art forms.
In the early 20th century, the name "KAHAWAI" also appeared in historical records related to the Maori Battalion, a military unit composed of Maori soldiers who fought in World War II. Several individuals with this surname were part of this battalion and served in various campaigns across Europe and North Africa.
Additionally, the surname "KAHAWAI" has been associated with various place names in New Zealand, particularly those related to coastal areas or bodies of water where the kahawai fish was found. For example, there is a small settlement called Kahawai near the Bay of Islands in the Northland region of New Zealand.
While not as widespread as some other Maori surnames, the name "KAHAWAI" remains an important part of New Zealand's cultural and historical heritage, reflecting the deep connection between the Maori people and the natural resources of their land and seas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kahawai
Among Census respondents with the surname Kahawai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (33.1%) and Hispanic (13.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kahawai 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 Kahawai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander46.6% · 55
- Two or more races33.1% · 39
- Hispanic or Latino13.6% · 16
- White6.8% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kahawai
Kahawai 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,213 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,184 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 4,213 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 6,184 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 Kahawai 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 | #137,327 | #143,511 | -4.5% |
| Count | 122 | 118 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kahawai bearers went from 122 to 118 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 6,184 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #143,511.
FAQ
Kahawai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kahawai?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Kahawai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Kahawai?
Kahawai ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Kahawai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Kahawai.
Has Kahawai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kahawai went from 122 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Kahawai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kahawai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (33.1%) and Hispanic (13.6%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kahawai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.6% (55 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kahawai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (46.6%), Two or More Races (33.1%), Hispanic (13.6%). 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 Kahawai (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 Kahawai mean?
A surname derived from the Hawaiian word for a type of fish. 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 Kahawai (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 share the surname Kahawai?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.