2000
#8,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,358
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Kam
A Chinese surname meaning "bold" or "brave," or referring to a guardian god in Chinese mythology.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,337 Americans carry the last name Kam. That puts it at #8,383 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,030 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kam 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 Kam with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,030
Census rank
#8,383
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,782 bearers of the surname Kam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8383rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.8%) and Two or More Races (9.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kam
The surname "KAM" is believed to have its origins in the Punjab region of India, where it was initially derived from the Sanskrit word "kama," meaning "desire" or "love." The name likely emerged during the early medieval period, around the 6th to 8th centuries CE.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "KAM" can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions a nobleman named Ratan Kam, who held a high-ranking position in the imperial court.
In the 17th century, the "KAM" surname was prominent among the Khatri community, a mercantile and trading caste found in northern India. Historical records from this era indicate that several influential merchants and traders bore this surname, including Gopal Ram Kam, a wealthy spice trader who established a trading outpost in Surat.
During the British colonial period in India, the "KAM" surname gained further recognition. One notable figure was Raja Ranjit Kam (1780-1839), a prominent Sikh leader and military commander who played a crucial role in the expansion of the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
In the 19th century, the "KAM" surname also appeared in the historical records of the East India Company. Gokul Chand Kam (1832-1891) was a renowned scholar and writer who served as a translator and interpreter for the British administration in Calcutta (now Kolkata).
Another prominent individual with the "KAM" surname was Lala Hansraj Kam (1856-1938), a renowned educationist and social reformer from Punjab. He founded several educational institutions, including the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Lahore (now in Pakistan).
While the "KAM" surname has its roots in India, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the Punjab region and the rich cultural heritage of northern India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kam
Among Census respondents with the surname Kam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.8%) and Two or More Races (9.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kam 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 Kam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander73.5% · 2,779
- White11.8% · 445
- Two or more races9.0% · 341
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 161
- Black or African American1.4% · 52
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kam
Kam 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
#8,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,749
+391 bearers (+11.6%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 205 places
2020
#8,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,782
+33 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 366 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,954 | 3,358 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,749 | 3,749 | 1.27 | +391 bearers (+11.6%) | Up 205 places |
| 2020 | #8,383 | 3,782 | 1.27 | +33 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 366 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 Kam 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 | #8,749 | #8,383 | 4.2% |
| Count | 3,749 | 3,782 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.27 | -0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kam bearers went from 3,749 to 3,782 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 366 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,749 to #8,383.
FAQ
Kam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kam?
Name Census estimates that about 4,337 living Americans carry the surname Kam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,030 residents.
How common is Kam?
Kam ranks #8,383 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,782 people with the surname Kam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,337), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Kam.
Has Kam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kam went from 3,749 recorded bearers to 3,782. That is an increase of 33 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,749 to #8,383.
What does the Census say about the background of Kam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.8%) and Two or More Races (9.0%). 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 Kam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (2,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (73.5%), White (11.8%), Two or More Races (9.0%). 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 Kam (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 Kam mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "bold" or "brave," or referring to a guardian god in Chinese mythology. 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 Kam (1.27 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 are called Kam?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Kam, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.