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

Kardos, 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 Kardos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kardos in America

Kardos is the 18457th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kardos surname appeared 1,499 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kardos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kardos 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 Kardos

The surname Kardos has its roots in Hungary, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Hungarian word "kardos," which translates to "swordsman" or "sword-bearer." This name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who carried or used a sword, possibly a soldier or a member of the nobility.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kardos surname can be found in the Rationes Collectorum Pontificiorum, a collection of papal tax records from the late 13th century. This document mentions a certain "Johannes Kardos" from the Diocese of Veszprém, suggesting the name's existence in that region during that time.

In the 15th century, the Kardos name appeared in various Hungarian chronicles and legal documents. For instance, a nobleman named Mihály Kardos was granted land in the village of Kisfalud by King Matthias Corvinus in 1468. This indicates the surname's association with the landed gentry of the era.

During the 16th century, the Kardos family played a prominent role in the Hungarian Reformation. György Kardos (1516-1589) was a notable Protestant minister and author who translated several works from Latin into Hungarian, contributing to the dissemination of Protestant teachings in the region.

In the 18th century, the Kardos name gained further recognition with the birth of József Kardos (1738-1803), a Hungarian poet and dramatist. His works, including the play "Zrínyi" and numerous lyrical poems, were influential in the development of Hungarian literature during the Age of Enlightenment.

Another notable figure was Sámuel Kardos (1828-1906), a Hungarian lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice and Education in the late 19th century. He played a significant role in shaping the educational policies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Kardos surname has also been associated with various place names in Hungary, such as Kardosfalva (meaning "Kardos Village") and Kardosmajor (meaning "Kardos Manor"). These place names likely originated from individuals or families bearing the Kardos name who settled in or owned those locations.

Throughout its history, the Kardos surname has been spelled in various ways, including Kardoss, Kardossy, and Kardosi, reflecting regional variations and language influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, tracing back to its medieval Hungarian roots as a descriptor of a swordsman or sword-bearer.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kardos

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!