2000
#81,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 217
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Kaplow
A surname likely derived from a nickname for someone with a very large head.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 206 Americans carry the last name Kaplow. That puts it at #105,671 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,663,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kaplow 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
206
1 in 1,663,856
Census rank
#105,671
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
180
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 180 bearers of the surname Kaplow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 105671st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaplow, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kaplow
The surname Kaplow is of Polish origin, originating in the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Polish word "kapla," which means "a drop" or "a small amount," suggesting a possible connection to an occupation or trade involving liquids or small quantities of goods.
The earliest recorded mention of the Kaplow name dates back to 1598 in the region of Krakow, Poland, where a merchant named Jan Kaplow was documented in local records. The name also appeared in the 17th century parish records of Poznan, Poland, with the spelling variations "Kaplow" and "Kaploff."
In the 18th century, the Kaplow surname was found in various regions of Poland, including the areas around Warsaw and Lublin. Notably, a farmer named Michal Kaplow was mentioned in the land registry of Radom in 1712, indicating the name's association with agricultural occupations during that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Kaplow surname was Stanislaw Kaplow, a Polish nobleman born in 1643 in the town of Opole. He was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate in the city council.
Another significant figure was Katarzyna Kaplow, born in 1723 in Krakow. She was a renowned herbalist and midwife, widely respected for her knowledge of traditional medicine and her contributions to the local community's healthcare.
In the 19th century, the Kaplow name spread beyond Poland as family members emigrated to other parts of Europe and North America. One notable individual was Józef Kaplow, born in 1856 in Poznan, who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in Chicago, USA, after emigrating in the late 1800s.
Another prominent figure was Ignacy Kaplow, born in 1834 in Warsaw, who was a respected scholar and author of several books on Polish history and literature. His works were widely read and celebrated during his lifetime.
By the early 20th century, the Kaplow surname had spread to various countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, where descendants of Polish immigrants continued to carry on the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kaplow
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaplow, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kaplow 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 Kaplow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 5
- Two or more races1.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kaplow
Kaplow 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
#90,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 204
-13 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 9,395 places
2020
#105,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 180
-24 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 15,176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #81,100 | 217 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #90,495 | 204 | 0.07 | -13 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 9,395 places |
| 2020 | #105,671 | 180 | 0.06 | -24 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 15,176 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 Kaplow 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 | #90,495 | #105,671 | -16.8% |
| Count | 204 | 180 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -14.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kaplow bearers went from 204 to 180 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 15,176 positions in the national ranking, going from #90,495 to #105,671.
FAQ
Kaplow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kaplow?
Name Census estimates that about 206 living Americans carry the surname Kaplow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,663,856 residents.
How common is Kaplow?
Kaplow ranks #105,671 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 180 people with the surname Kaplow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (206), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Kaplow.
Has Kaplow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kaplow went from 204 recorded bearers to 180. That is a decrease of 24 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #90,495 to #105,671.
What does the Census say about the background of Kaplow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaplow, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Kaplow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (158 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kaplow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Hispanic (7.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Kaplow (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 Kaplow mean?
A surname likely derived from a nickname for someone with a very large head. 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 Kaplow (0.06 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 share the surname Kaplow?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.