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

Kania, 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 Kania surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kania in America

Kania is the 8102nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kania surname appeared 4,092 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 Kania.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kania 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 Kania

The surname Kania is of Polish origin, derived from the Slavic word "kania" meaning "kite" or "buzzard". It was likely initially used as a nickname for someone with a keen eye or sharp vision, akin to a bird of prey.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century in the historical region of Lesser Poland. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in medieval tax records and property registries from towns like Krakow and Tarnow.

In the 15th century, the name Kania was mentioned in the Akta Grodzkie, a series of court records from the town of Nowy Sacz. These records document legal proceedings and property transactions involving individuals with the Kania surname.

One notable individual bearing the name was Jan Kania, a Polish military commander who fought against the Teutonic Knights in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. He was praised for his bravery and tactics on the battlefield.

Another historically significant figure was Stanislaw Kania (1509-1573), a renowned Polish Renaissance poet and playwright. His works were influential in shaping the development of Polish literature and theater during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Kania surname was found in church records from the village of Wieliczka, near Krakow. These records document births, marriages, and deaths within the local Kania family.

The name Kania has also been associated with several place names in Poland, such as the village of Kanina in the Opole region and the town of Kaniewska in the Lodz province. These places likely derived their names from early Kania settlers or landowners.

Other notable individuals with the Kania surname include Kazimierz Kania (1856-1929), a Polish painter and art educator, and Stanislaw Kania (1927-2020), a Polish communist politician who briefly served as the First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party from 1980 to 1981.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kania

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

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

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

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