2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kanzig
A surname possibly derived from a geographic name in Switzerland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Kanzig. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kanzig 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Kanzig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanzig, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kanzig
The surname Kanzig originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 14th century. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old German word "Kaniz," which referred to a small container or vessel. It is likely that the surname was initially given to someone who worked as a maker or seller of such containers.
In the 15th century, the name Kanzig appeared in various German town records and municipal documents. For instance, a record from the town of Augsburg in 1472 mentions a Johann Kanzig, who was a respected craftsman. Another early reference can be found in the Württemberg Church Records of 1521, which lists a Matthaus Kanzig as a landowner in the village of Schorndorf.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Kanzig was Hans Kanzig, a prominent merchant who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 16th century. He was a member of the influential Nuremberg Guild of Merchants and played a key role in establishing trade routes between Germany and the Baltic regions.
In the 17th century, the Kanzig family spread across various parts of Germany, with some members settling in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Michael Kanzig (1628-1696), a respected Lutheran theologian and author of several religious texts, and Christoph Kanzig (1673-1741), a renowned clockmaker from the town of Augsburg.
As the Kanzig surname gained recognition, it also found its way into the literary world. In the 19th century, a German poet and dramatist named Friedrich Kanzig (1810-1888) achieved considerable fame for his works, which included plays, poems, and essays on cultural and social issues.
Another prominent figure with the surname Kanzig was Wilhelm Kanzig (1878-1942), a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction of several cities in the aftermath of World War I. His innovative designs and commitment to sustainable urban development earned him widespread acclaim.
Throughout its history, the surname Kanzig has been associated with various professions, including craftsmanship, theology, literature, and architecture. While it originated in Germany, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, though its roots remain firmly grounded in its German heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kanzig
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanzig, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kanzig 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 Kanzig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kanzig
Kanzig 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+5 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,227 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-13 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 4,227 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 13,072 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 Kanzig 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 | #135,593 | #148,665 | -9.6% |
| Count | 124 | 111 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kanzig bearers went from 124 to 111 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 13,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #148,665.
FAQ
Kanzig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kanzig?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Kanzig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Kanzig?
Kanzig ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Kanzig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Kanzig.
Has Kanzig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kanzig went from 124 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Kanzig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanzig, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Kanzig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kanzig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Kanzig (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 Kanzig mean?
A surname possibly derived from a geographic name in Switzerland. 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 Kanzig (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 Kanzig?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.