2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kassahn
A surname derived from the name of the German town Kassen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Kassahn. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kassahn 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Kassahn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kassahn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kassahn
The surname Kassahn has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "Kassen," which means "chest" or "coffer," and was likely an occupational name for someone who made or repaired chests or coffers.
The name was predominantly found in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. In the early 17th century, there are records of a family with the name Kassahn residing in the town of Itzehoe, located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Kassahn appears in the church records of St. Jacobi Kirche in Itzehoe, where a certain Hans Kassahn was listed as a resident in the year 1612. There is also a record of a Johannes Kassahn, born in 1657, who was a prominent merchant in the city of Hamburg.
The Kassahn surname can be traced back to various place names in northern Germany, such as Kassahn, a small village in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Schleswig-Holstein. This village likely derived its name from the same root word as the surname, indicating a connection between the place and the name.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Kassahn surname. One such person was Friedrich Kassahn (1804-1876), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives in the mid-19th century.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Kassahn (1887-1945), a German military officer who served in both World War I and World War II. He was awarded the Iron Cross for his bravery and rose to the rank of Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) in the Wehrmacht.
In the field of literature, there was Ernst Kassahn (1903-1964), a German writer and poet who authored several novels and poetry collections, including "Der Schatten des Vaters" (The Shadow of the Father) and "Herbstfarben" (Autumn Colors).
The Kassahn surname also has a presence in the world of academia. One prominent individual was Otto Kassahn (1914-1996), a German physicist and professor at the University of Hamburg, who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics.
Another academic figure was Gerhard Kassahn (1926-2010), a German mathematician and professor at the University of Hannover, known for his work in functional analysis and operator theory.
While these are just a few examples, the Kassahn surname has left its mark across various domains throughout history, originating from its roots in northern Germany and the occupation of chest or coffer makers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kassahn
Among Census respondents with the surname Kassahn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kassahn 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 Kassahn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 88
- Black or African American5.0% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 5
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kassahn
Kassahn 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,343 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-18 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,542 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 12,343 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 14,542 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 Kassahn 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 | #141,140 | #155,682 | -10.3% |
| Count | 118 | 100 | -15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kassahn bearers went from 118 to 100 (-15.3% change). The surname moved down 14,542 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #155,682.
FAQ
Kassahn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kassahn?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Kassahn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Kassahn?
Kassahn ranks #155,682 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 100 people with the surname Kassahn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), 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 Kassahn.
Has Kassahn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kassahn went from 118 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Kassahn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kassahn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Kassahn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kassahn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Black (5.0%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Kassahn (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 Kassahn mean?
A surname derived from the name of the German town Kassen. 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 Kassahn (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 Kassahn?
See how many Americans have the surname Kassahn on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.