2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kamhi
A surname of Jewish origin, possibly deriving from the Hebrew word "kamah" meaning to rise or elevate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Kamhi. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kamhi 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Kamhi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamhi, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kamhi
The surname KAMHI is of Sephardic Jewish origin, originating in the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "kamkhee," which means "flour" or "fine flour." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with bakers, millers, or those involved in the flour trade.
The earliest recorded instances of the KAMHI surname can be traced back to the 13th century in Spain and Portugal, where Sephardic Jewish communities thrived before the Expulsion in 1492. The name appears in various historical documents, such as municipal records and contracts, indicating the presence of individuals with this surname in cities like Seville, Barcelona, and Lisbon.
During the Inquisition and subsequent expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula, many KAMHI families sought refuge in the Ottoman Empire, particularly in regions like Greece, Turkey, and North Africa. The name can be found in records of Sephardic communities in cities like Salonika (modern-day Thessaloniki) and Istanbul, where the KAMHI surname remained prevalent.
One notable individual bearing the KAMHI name was Rabbi Salomon ben Joseph KAMHI (1505-1593), a renowned Talmudic scholar and philosopher born in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). He authored several influential works, including commentaries on the Torah and the Mishnah.
Another prominent figure was David KAMHI (1696-1779), a rabbi and kabbalist from Izmir (modern-day Smyrna), Turkey. He was a renowned scholar and author of numerous works on Jewish law and mysticism.
In the 18th century, the KAMHI surname appeared in records from the Jewish communities of Amsterdam, where Sephardic Jews had found refuge after the Expulsion. Abraham KAMHI (1718-1789) was a notable rabbi and scholar born in Amsterdam, known for his expertise in Talmudic literature.
The KAMHI surname can also be found in historical records from Italy, particularly in communities like Venice and Livorno, where Sephardic Jews settled after leaving the Iberian Peninsula. One example is Isaac KAMHI (1650-1706), a rabbi and scholar born in Livorno, who authored works on Jewish law and ethics.
In the 19th century, the KAMHI name appeared in records from the Jewish communities of North Africa, particularly in Morocco and Algeria, where many Sephardic Jews had settled after the Expulsion. Haim KAMHI (1810-1887) was a prominent rabbi and scholar from Tlemcen, Algeria, known for his contributions to the study of Halakha (Jewish law).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kamhi
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamhi, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kamhi 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 Kamhi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino10.8% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kamhi
Kamhi 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,717 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-21 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,618 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 8,717 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 19,618 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 Kamhi 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 | #129,047 | #148,665 | -15.2% |
| Count | 132 | 111 | -15.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kamhi bearers went from 132 to 111 (-15.9% change). The surname moved down 19,618 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #148,665.
FAQ
Kamhi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kamhi?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Kamhi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Kamhi?
Kamhi ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Kamhi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Kamhi.
Has Kamhi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kamhi went from 132 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 21 (-15.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Kamhi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamhi, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Kamhi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kamhi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (10.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Kamhi (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 Kamhi mean?
A surname of Jewish origin, possibly deriving from the Hebrew word "kamah" meaning to rise or elevate. 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 Kamhi (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 Kamhi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.