2000
#12,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,316
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Kalman
A Hungarian surname derived from the Turkish title "kalman," meaning "the remainder" or "the last one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,297 Americans carry the last name Kalman. That puts it at #14,366 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,218 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kalman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kalman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,218
Census rank
#14,366
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,003 bearers of the surname Kalman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14366th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kalman
The surname Kalman originated in Hungary and is derived from the Hungarian given name Kalman, which ultimately comes from the Old Slavic word "Kalъmanъ" meaning "a small stone." This name traces its roots back to the 11th century and is associated with the region of Pannonia, which is now part of modern-day Hungary, Austria, and Slovenia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kalman can be found in the Gesta Hungarorum, a medieval chronicle written in the 12th century, which mentions a Hungarian prince named Kalman who lived in the 11th century. Additionally, the name appears in various medieval charters and documents from the Kingdom of Hungary.
In the 12th century, a notable figure bearing the name Kalman was Kalman the Book-Lover (c. 1070-1116), who was the King of Hungary from 1095 to 1116. He is renowned for his efforts in promoting education and cultural development during his reign.
Another historical figure with the surname Kalman was Kalman Mikszath (1847-1910), a renowned Hungarian novelist and journalist who is considered one of the greatest writers in Hungarian literature. His works provided a vivid depiction of Hungarian rural life and society during the 19th century.
The Kalman surname also had bearers in other parts of Europe, such as Kalman Candor (1904-1976), a Romanian-born American mathematician and engineer who made significant contributions to the field of control theory.
In the realm of music, Kalman Bloch (1884-1959) was a Hungarian-born American composer and conductor known for his contributions to musical theater and operettas. His works, such as "The Vaga Bond King" and "Sunny River," were popular in the early 20th century.
It is important to note that while the surname Kalman has its origins in Hungary, it has since been adopted and used by individuals in various parts of the world, often with different spellings or variations depending on the cultural and linguistic influences of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kalman
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kalman 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 Kalman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 1,838
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 82
- Two or more races2.1% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 25
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kalman
Kalman 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
#8,415
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,927
+1,611 bearers (+69.6%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 3,896 places
2020
#14,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,003
-1,924 bearers (-49.0%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 5,951 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,311 | 2,316 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,415 | 3,927 | 1.33 | +1,611 bearers (+69.6%) | Up 3,896 places |
| 2020 | #14,366 | 2,003 | 0.67 | -1,924 bearers (-49.0%) | Down 5,951 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 Kalman 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 | #8,415 | #14,366 | -70.7% |
| Count | 3,927 | 2,003 | -49.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.33 | 0.67 | -49.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kalman bearers went from 3,927 to 2,003 (-49.0% change). The surname moved down 5,951 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,415 to #14,366.
FAQ
Kalman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kalman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,297 living Americans carry the surname Kalman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,218 residents.
How common is Kalman?
Kalman ranks #14,366 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,003 people with the surname Kalman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,297), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kalman.
Has Kalman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kalman went from 3,927 recorded bearers to 2,003. That is a decrease of 1,924 (-49.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,415 to #14,366.
What does the Census say about the background of Kalman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Kalman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (1,838 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kalman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Kalman (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 Kalman mean?
A Hungarian surname derived from the Turkish title "kalman," meaning "the remainder" or "the last one." 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 Kalman (0.67 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 Kalman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.