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

Kanna, 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 Kanna surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kanna in America

Kanna is the 99845th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kanna surname appeared 181 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 Kanna.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kanna 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 Kanna

The surname KANNA is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, possibly from the Sanskrit language. It is thought to be derived from the word "kanna," which means "one-eyed" or "blind in one eye." This name may have been given as a descriptive surname to someone who had a physical characteristic of being one-eyed or partially blind.

In ancient Indian texts and records, there are mentions of individuals with the name KANNA, suggesting its use as a surname dates back several centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances is from a Hindu manuscript from the 12th century, which refers to a sage or scholar named Kanna Deva.

The name KANNA has also been found in historical records from the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, indicating its prevalence in those regions. In some instances, the name may have been associated with certain communities or castes involved in specific occupations or trades.

One notable individual with the surname KANNA in Indian history was Kanna Lakshmaiah, a prominent Telugu poet and writer who lived in the late 16th century. He is known for his contributions to the Telugu literary tradition and his works that explored themes of devotion and spirituality.

Another historical figure with this surname was Kanna Naicker, a chieftain and ruler from the 17th century who governed the Madurai region in present-day Tamil Nadu. He played a significant role in the political landscape of the time and was involved in conflicts with the Nayak rulers of the region.

In the 18th century, there was a celebrated musician and composer named Kanna Dasan, who hailed from the princely state of Travancore (now part of Kerala). His compositions in the Carnatic music tradition have been widely appreciated and are still performed today.

While the surname KANNA has its roots in India, it has also been adopted by individuals of Indian descent living in other parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant Indian diaspora populations such as Malaysia, Singapore, and South Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kanna

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

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

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

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