2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kanthak
A surname originating from the occupational term for a horse cart driver or coachman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Kanthak. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kanthak 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Kanthak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanthak, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kanthak
The surname Kanthak is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, particularly in the towns and villages surrounding Dresden.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Kanthak can be found in the parish records of St. Martin's Church in Dresden, dated 1583. This record mentions a Johannes Kanthak, who was a local farmer and landowner.
The name Kanthak is thought to derive from the Old German word "kanne," which means "jug" or "pitcher." It is likely that the surname was initially given as an occupational name to someone who worked as a potter or ceramic maker, crafting jugs and pitchers for daily use.
In the 17th century, the Kanthak family expanded their presence across Saxony, with several members recorded in the town of Meissen. Notable among them was Jakob Kanthak (1612-1679), a respected goldsmith whose intricate metalwork was sought after by nobility and wealthy merchants.
As the centuries progressed, the Kanthak surname spread further across Germany and into neighboring regions. In the late 18th century, a Johann Kanthak (1752-1817) was a prominent scholar and professor of philosophy at the University of Jena, whose writings on ethics and moral philosophy were widely influential.
Another notable figure bearing the Kanthak name was Karl Kanthak (1834-1901), a renowned architect from Berlin. He designed several iconic buildings in the city, including the Reichstag building and the Berlin Cathedral, which stand as testament to his exceptional skill and vision.
In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the Kanthak surname was Gerhard Kanthak (1917-1992), a German author and playwright. His works, often exploring themes of social justice and political activism, were highly acclaimed and earned him numerous literary awards.
Throughout its history, the Kanthak surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, architects, and writers. While its origins can be traced back to the potters and ceramic makers of 16th century Saxony, the name has left an indelible mark across Germany and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kanthak
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanthak, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kanthak 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 Kanthak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kanthak
Kanthak 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,385 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,794 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,385 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 6,794 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 Kanthak 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 | #144,141 | #150,935 | -4.7% |
| Count | 115 | 108 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kanthak bearers went from 115 to 108 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 6,794 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #150,935.
FAQ
Kanthak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kanthak?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Kanthak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Kanthak?
Kanthak ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Kanthak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Kanthak.
Has Kanthak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kanthak went from 115 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Kanthak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanthak, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Kanthak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kanthak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Kanthak (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 Kanthak mean?
A surname originating from the occupational term for a horse cart driver or coachman. 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 Kanthak (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 have the surname Kanthak?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.