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

Kang, 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 Kang surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kang in America

Kang is the 1084th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kang surname appeared 32,221 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Kang.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kang 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 Kang

The surname Kang originates from Korea and has its roots in the ancient Korean language. It is believed to have derived from the Korean word "gang," which means "river" or "stream." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been associated with people living near rivers or residing in areas characterized by waterways.

Historically, the Kang surname can be traced back to the Silla Kingdom, one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea that existed from 57 BC to 935 AD. During this period, the name appeared in various records and documents, indicating its widespread use among the Korean populace.

One of the earliest known references to the Kang surname can be found in the Samguk Sagi, a historical record compiled in 1145 AD by the scholar Kim Busik. This text chronicles the history of the Three Kingdoms period and mentions several notable figures bearing the Kang surname.

Among the prominent individuals with the Kang surname in ancient Korean history is Kang Gamchan (648-689 AD), a revered Buddhist monk and scholar who played a significant role in the dissemination of Buddhism in the Silla Kingdom. Another notable figure is Kang Sukku (1567-1624 AD), a renowned Confucian scholar and philosopher during the Joseon Dynasty.

In the realm of Korean literature, Kang Huian (1417-1474 AD) stands out as a celebrated poet and writer whose works have left an indelible mark on Korean literary tradition. His poetry, particularly his sijo (a traditional Korean poetic form), is widely acclaimed and studied to this day.

Moving into the modern era, Kang Youwei (1858-1927 AD) was a influential Chinese scholar and reformist who advocated for political and social reforms during the late Qing Dynasty. His ideas and writings had a significant impact on the intellectual discourse of his time.

Another notable figure bearing the Kang surname is Kang Kek Iew, better known as Comrade Duch (1942-2020 AD), a former Khmer Rouge leader who oversaw the notorious Tuol Sleng prison in Cambodia during the Cambodian genocide. His trial and conviction for crimes against humanity brought international attention to the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kang

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

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

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

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