2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kapua
A Hawaiian surname possibly meaning "the heavens" or relating to clouds.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Kapua. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kapua 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Kapua in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kapua, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 58.8%. The next largest groups are White (14.3%) and Hispanic (14.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kapua
The surname KAPUA has its origins in Hawaii and is thought to date back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Hawaiian words 'ka pua', which translates to 'the flower' or 'the blossom'. The name was likely initially given to someone who lived near a particularly beautiful or significant flower or blossoming plant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the oral traditions and chants of native Hawaiians, which were passed down through generations before being transcribed in the 19th century. These ancient chants mention a KAPUA who was a skilled navigator and voyager, sailing between the Hawaiian islands on double-hulled canoes.
In the 1700s, a chief named Kekuaokalani KAPUA was a prominent figure on the island of Maui. He was known for his leadership during a time of conflict between the various Hawaiian chiefdoms. His descendants went on to become influential landowners and advisors to the Hawaiian monarchy in the 19th century.
Another notable individual with the surname KAPUA was Keahi KAPUA, born in 1840. He was one of the first native Hawaiians to be ordained as a Christian minister and played a significant role in the spread of Christianity throughout the islands. He also worked to preserve and document Hawaiian language and culture.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several KAPUA families were involved in the Hawaiian renaissance movement, which aimed to revive and celebrate traditional Hawaiian arts, music, and practices. One such individual was Emma KAPUA, a renowned hula dancer and teacher who helped to ensure the preservation of this important cultural tradition.
In more recent times, the KAPUA surname has continued to be associated with Hawaii and its rich cultural heritage. John KAPUA, born in 1932, was a respected kumu hula (hula master) who taught and performed both traditional and modern hula styles for decades, helping to keep this art form alive and relevant.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kapua
Among Census respondents with the surname Kapua, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 58.8%. The next largest groups are White (14.3%) and Hispanic (14.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kapua 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 Kapua surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander58.8% · 70
- White14.3% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino14.3% · 17
- Two or more races11.8% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kapua
Kapua 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+17 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,867 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,560 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 7,867 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,560 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 Kapua 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 | #139,228 | #142,788 | -2.6% |
| Count | 120 | 119 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kapua bearers went from 120 to 119 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,560 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #142,788.
FAQ
Kapua surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kapua?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Kapua. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Kapua?
Kapua ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Kapua. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Kapua.
Has Kapua become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kapua went from 120 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Kapua?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kapua, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 58.8%. The next largest groups are White (14.3%) and Hispanic (14.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kapua in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.8% (70 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kapua appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (58.8%), White (14.3%), Hispanic (14.3%). 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 Kapua (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 Kapua mean?
A Hawaiian surname possibly meaning "the heavens" or relating to clouds. 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 Kapua (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 Americans have the surname Kapua?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.