Find out how popular the last name Kan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kan.

Kan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kan in America

Kan is the 10647th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kan surname appeared 3,005 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kan

The surname KAN is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the Sanskrit language. The name is derived from the word "Kana," which means "small" or "little." It is thought to have been used as a descriptive surname, referring to a person's physical stature or possibly as a nickname for someone who was younger or smaller in age.

The earliest known references to the KAN surname can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts from around the 5th century AD. The name appears in various forms, such as Kana, Kanaka, and Kanika, which were common names used in different regions of India during that time period.

One notable historical figure with the KAN surname was Kan Singh, a 16th-century Rajput warrior and ruler of the Marwar region in present-day Rajasthan, India. He was born in 1501 and is renowned for his military campaigns and for strengthening the defenses of his kingdom.

Another prominent individual with the KAN surname was Kanhaiya Lal Kan, a 19th-century Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary. He was born in 1844 and played a significant role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British East India Company.

In the literary world, Kanhaiya Lal Srivastava, better known by his pen name Kan, was a respected Hindi poet and writer who lived from 1908 to 1987. His works addressed social issues and the struggles of the common people.

The KAN surname has also been found in historical records from other parts of Asia, such as Nepal and Myanmar. One notable figure was Kan Tun, a 13th-century Burmese monarch who ruled the Pagan Kingdom, now part of modern-day Myanmar. He was born in 1230 and is credited with expanding the kingdom's territories and promoting Buddhist culture.

Additionally, the KAN surname has been associated with various place names in India, such as Kanpur, a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and Kanakapura, a town in the state of Karnataka. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa, reflecting the connection between surnames and geographical locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kan, please contact us.

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