2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kaneski
An uncommon surname potentially derived from Polish or Eastern European origins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Kaneski. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kaneski 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Kaneski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaneski, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kaneski
The surname Kaneski has its origins in Eastern Europe, specifically in the region of modern-day Poland. It is believed to have emerged in the 16th century, derived from the Slavic word "kani," which means "to flow" or "to pour." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with individuals who lived near rivers or streams, or possibly those who worked as water carriers or in professions related to water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kaneski can be found in a Polish census record from the year 1587, where a certain Jan Kaneski is listed as a resident of the village of Krakow. This document provides valuable insight into the historical prevalence of the name in that particular region during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name Kaneski appeared in several parish records and land ownership documents across various parts of Poland. Notable examples include the birth record of Katarzyna Kaneski in 1658 in the town of Lublin, and a land deed from 1682 that mentions a Marcin Kaneski as the owner of a parcel of farmland near the village of Poznan.
As the name spread throughout Eastern Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Kaneski, Kaneski, and Kaneski. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the phonetic preferences of different scribes and record-keepers.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Kaneski surname was a Polish nobleman named Jakub Kaneski, who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in historical accounts as a prominent landowner and military leader who fought in several battles against the Teutonic Knights.
In the 18th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of Franciszek Kaneski (1724-1798), a renowned Polish poet and playwright. His works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and patriotism, were widely celebrated during his lifetime and continue to be studied and appreciated by literary scholars today.
Another noteworthy individual with the Kaneski surname was Maria Kaneski (1842-1912), a Polish educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first schools for girls in Warsaw and played a significant role in promoting educational opportunities for women in a time when such endeavors were met with resistance.
During the 19th century, the Kaneski name also appeared in several historical records in neighboring countries like Ukraine and Belarus, indicating the spread of the surname beyond the borders of Poland. For example, there are records of a Mykola Kaneski, a Ukrainian farmer who lived in the village of Lviv in the late 1800s.
As the centuries passed, the Kaneski surname continued to be carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, contributing to the rich tapestry of Eastern European history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kaneski
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaneski, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kaneski 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 Kaneski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 100
- Two or more races5.4% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kaneski
Kaneski 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,608 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+8 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,090 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 5,608 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.7%) | Up 8,090 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 Kaneski 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 | #156,044 | #147,954 | 5.2% |
| Count | 104 | 112 | 7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kaneski bearers went from 104 to 112 (+7.7% change). The surname moved up 8,090 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #147,954.
FAQ
Kaneski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kaneski?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Kaneski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Kaneski?
Kaneski ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Kaneski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Kaneski.
Has Kaneski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kaneski went from 104 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 8 (+7.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Kaneski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaneski, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.6%). 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 Kaneski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kaneski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (5.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.6%). 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 Kaneski (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 Kaneski mean?
An uncommon surname potentially derived from Polish or Eastern European origins. 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 Kaneski (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 Kaneski?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.