2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kargus
A surname possibly derived from the Greek word "kargos" meaning cargo or load.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Kargus. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kargus 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Kargus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kargus, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kargus
The surname Kargus has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "karg," which means "barren" or "infertile," suggesting that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive term for someone living in a harsh or unforgiving environment.
The earliest known record of the name Kargus can be found in the Prussian village of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia) in the late 1500s. At that time, the spelling variations included Karges, Cargus, and Karghus. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era.
In the 17th century, the Kargus name appeared in various historical documents across the German states, indicating the family's presence in different regions. One notable mention is in the 1632 tax records of the town of Lübeck, where a certain Johann Kargus is listed as a merchant and landowner.
As the centuries passed, the Kargus family spread throughout Europe, with some members achieving notable status. One such individual was Friedrich Kargus (1818-1892), a German author and philosopher who wrote extensively on the concept of individualism and its role in society.
Another prominent figure was Hans Kargus (1901-1978), a German architect who was renowned for his innovative designs and contribution to the Bauhaus movement. His most famous work is the Kargus House in Berlin, which is now a protected historical landmark.
In the 19th century, the Kargus name also found its way to the United States through immigration. One of the earliest recorded Kargus families settled in Pennsylvania in the 1840s. Among them was Heinrich Kargus (1825-1903), a farmer who became a respected member of his local community.
Towards the end of the 19th century, a branch of the Kargus family established itself in Russia, where they were known as the Kargussov family. One notable member was Mikhail Kargussov (1868-1934), a renowned Russian engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
While the Kargus name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this surname making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kargus
Among Census respondents with the surname Kargus, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kargus 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 Kargus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kargus
Kargus 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,028 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 15,028 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 413 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 Kargus 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 | #153,769 | #154,182 | -0.3% |
| Count | 106 | 103 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kargus bearers went from 106 to 103 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,182.
FAQ
Kargus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kargus?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Kargus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Kargus?
Kargus ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Kargus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kargus.
Has Kargus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kargus went from 106 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Kargus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kargus, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Kargus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kargus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Kargus (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 Kargus mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Greek word "kargos" meaning cargo or load. 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 Kargus (0.03 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 common is the surname Kargus?
If you just want to know how many people are called Kargus, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.