Kassis last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kassis

A surname originating from the Arabic word "qassis" meaning priest or clergyman.

Kassis, 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 Kassis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kassis in America

Kassis is the 27756th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kassis surname appeared 866 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kassis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kassis 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 27756 29815 -7.15%
Count 866 744 15.16%
Proportion per 100k 0.29 0.28 3.51%

The history of the last name Kassis

The surname KASSIS is of Arabic origin, and can be traced back to the Middle East region during the medieval period. It is derived from the Arabic word "qasis," which means "priest" or "clergyman." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely members of the clergy or had close ties to religious institutions.

The KASSIS surname is believed to have first emerged in areas such as Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, where Arabic was the predominant language. As people migrated and settled in different regions, the name spread to other parts of the Middle East and beyond.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KASSIS surname can be found in the 12th century, when a manuscript from the city of Aleppo, Syria, mentioned a man named Yusuf al-Kassis. This individual was a renowned scholar and theologian of his time, indicating that the name was already associated with intellectual and religious pursuits.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Ibrahim al-Kassis was a prominent physician in the court of the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt. His contributions to the field of medicine and his service to the royal family further solidified the reputation of the KASSIS name.

During the Ottoman Empire's rule over the Middle East, several individuals with the KASSIS surname held positions of importance. One such person was Mikhail al-Kassis, who served as the governor of Damascus in the late 16th century. His administrative skills and leadership earned him recognition among the Ottoman authorities.

Another prominent individual was Butrus al-Kassis, a 17th-century scholar and writer who authored several books on theology and philosophy. His works were widely circulated and studied in academic circles, reflecting the intellectual tradition associated with the KASSIS name.

In the 19th century, Khalil al-Kassis was a renowned poet and journalist from Lebanon. His literary works and contributions to the Arabic literary scene earned him a place among the most influential writers of his time.

Throughout its history, the KASSIS surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including religious leaders, scholars, physicians, administrators, and artists. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle East, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kassis

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

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 Kassis was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 88.57% 767
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.69% 6
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 5.08% 44
Hispanic Origin 5.31% 46

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 Kassis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 88.57% 82.53% 7.06%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.69% 1.61% -80.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 5.08% 10.62% -70.57%
Hispanic 5.31% 4.30% 21.02%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Kassis last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 25, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kassis-surname-popularity/.

"Kassis last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kassis-surname-popularity/. Accessed 25 May, 2025

Kassis last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/kassis-surname-popularity/.

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