2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kaip
A surname of German origin meaning "pale" or "faint".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Kaip. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kaip 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Kaip in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaip, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kaip
The surname "KAIP" has its origins in Poland, with the earliest records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "kąp," which means "to bathe" or "to soak." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a profession or occupation related to bathing or water-related activities.
In the historical records of the Rzeczpospolita, a Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, there are mentions of individuals bearing the surname "KAIP" in various regions, including the city of Krakow and the surrounding areas. One of the earliest documented examples is Jan KAIP, a merchant who lived in Krakow in the late 16th century.
During the 17th century, the name "KAIP" appeared in several church records and land registries in the areas around Lublin and Radom. These records often included variations in spelling, such as "KAIPPE" or "KAYP," reflecting the linguistic diversity and regional variations of the time.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname "KAIP" was Maciej KAIP, a scholar and professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, who made significant contributions to the field of philosophy. He was born in 1725 and passed away in 1789.
Another prominent individual was Jadwiga KAIP, a renowned painter and artist who lived in Warsaw during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Her works were highly acclaimed and can be found in various art collections throughout Poland.
In the 19th century, the "KAIP" surname gained more prominence, with several individuals making their mark in various fields. One such person was Józef KAIP, a celebrated poet and writer who was born in 1820 in the town of Płock. His poetry and literature works were widely read and admired during his lifetime.
Towards the latter part of the 19th century, a notable figure was Tomasz KAIP, a prominent lawyer and political activist who played a significant role in the struggle for Polish independence from foreign rule. He was born in 1865 and was actively involved in various political movements until his death in 1925.
Throughout the 20th century, the "KAIP" surname continued to be present in various fields, including academia, arts, and literature. However, due to the turbulent historical events in Poland during this period, it is challenging to find comprehensive and reliable records documenting individuals with this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kaip
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaip, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kaip 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 Kaip surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 104
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kaip
Kaip appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-11 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 10,499 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 Kaip 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 | #141,140 | #151,639 | -7.4% |
| Count | 118 | 107 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kaip bearers went from 118 to 107 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 10,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #151,639.
FAQ
Kaip surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kaip?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Kaip. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Kaip?
Kaip ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Kaip. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Kaip.
Has Kaip become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kaip went from 118 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Kaip?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaip, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Kaip in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kaip appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Black (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Kaip (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 Kaip mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "pale" or "faint". 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 Kaip (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 common is the surname Kaip?
Find out how many people are called Kaip on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.