2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kamrad
A surname originating from Polish or Slovak meaning friend or comrade.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Kamrad. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kamrad 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Kamrad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamrad, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kamrad
The surname KAMRAD is of Scandinavian origin, tracing its roots back to the Viking era of the 8th to 11th centuries. It is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of present-day Sweden and Norway, where the Old Norse language was spoken.
KAMRAD is derived from the Old Norse word "kamradr," which meant "companion" or "comrade." This term was commonly used to refer to fellow warriors or members of the same military band. The name likely originated as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who were known for their loyalty and camaraderie with others.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KAMRAD can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of literary works from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the Saga of Grettir the Strong, a character named Kamrad is mentioned as a companion of the legendary Icelandic outlaw Grettir Ásmundarson.
During the Viking Age, many Scandinavians ventured across the seas and settled in various parts of Europe, including England and Scotland. It is possible that individuals bearing the name KAMRAD were among these early settlers, introducing the surname to these regions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname KAMRAD was Ingrid Kamrad, a Norwegian noblewoman who lived in the late 12th century. She was known for her involvement in the political affairs of the time and her influence within the court of King Sverre Sigurdsson.
Another notable figure was Håkon Kamrad, a Norwegian warrior and chieftain who lived in the 13th century. He is mentioned in the Håkon Håkonsson Saga for his participation in the Battle of Oslo in 1240, where he fought alongside King Håkon Håkonsson against the forces of the Danish king.
In the 14th century, a Swedish nobleman named Erik Kamrad gained prominence as a military commander and advisor to King Magnus Eriksson. He played a crucial role in the conflicts between Sweden and Denmark during that period.
The KAMRAD surname can also be found in historical records from the Shetland Islands, which were once part of the Norwegian realm. One notable individual from this region was Sigurd Kamrad, a merchant and ship owner who lived in the late 16th century and was known for his extensive trading ventures throughout the North Sea.
Throughout the centuries, the KAMRAD surname has undergone various spellings and regional variations, including Kamrad, Kamraad, and Kamerade, among others. However, the core meaning of "companion" or "comrade" has remained consistent, reflecting the name's origins as a descriptor of loyalty and camaraderie.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kamrad
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamrad, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kamrad 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 Kamrad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 96
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kamrad
Kamrad 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+11 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,043 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,788 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 2,043 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 6,788 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 Kamrad 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 | #146,201 | #152,989 | -4.6% |
| Count | 113 | 105 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kamrad bearers went from 113 to 105 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 6,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #152,989.
FAQ
Kamrad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kamrad?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Kamrad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Kamrad?
Kamrad ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Kamrad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Kamrad.
Has Kamrad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kamrad went from 113 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Kamrad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamrad, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Kamrad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kamrad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (5.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Kamrad (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 Kamrad mean?
A surname originating from Polish or Slovak meaning friend or comrade. 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 Kamrad (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 have the surname Kamrad?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.