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

Kanak, 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 Kanak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kanak in America

Kanak is the 50771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kanak surname appeared 411 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kanak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kanak 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 Kanak

The surname KANAK has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Bengal, which is now divided between the modern-day countries of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. The name can be traced back to the 16th century, and it is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "Kanaka," which means "golden" or "prosperous."

In the medieval period, the name KANAK was prevalent among the wealthy and influential families of Bengal, particularly among the landowners and merchants. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents and inscriptions from that time period.

One notable early bearer of the KANAK surname was Kanaka Datta, a renowned Bengali poet and scholar who lived in the 15th century. His literary works, such as the epic poem "Chandi Mangal," have been widely celebrated and studied over the centuries.

Another significant figure with the KANAK surname was Kanaka Nath, a 16th-century Bengali saint and mystic who played a pivotal role in the spread of the Baul tradition, a unique spiritual and cultural movement in Bengal.

In the 17th century, the KANAK family was among the prominent landowners in the village of Shyamnagar, located in the Satkhira district of present-day Bangladesh. Records from this period mention Kanaka Ram KANAK, a wealthy landlord and philanthropist who contributed significantly to the development of the region.

During the British colonial era in India, the KANAK surname was also found among the educated and influential Bengali families. One notable example is Kanaka Lal KANAK, a 19th-century Bengali journalist and social reformer who played a crucial role in the Bengal Renaissance movement.

In more recent times, the KANAK surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including academics, artists, and professionals. One prominent bearer of the name was Kanaka Ranjan KANAK, a renowned Bengali poet and writer who was born in 1923 and passed away in 2001.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kanak

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

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 Kanak 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 Kanak 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 Kanak was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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