2000
#13,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,978
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Kast
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a cabinetmaker, from Middle High German kaste meaning "box, chest."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,436 Americans carry the last name Kast. That puts it at #13,660 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,704 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kast 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
2.4K
1 in 140,704
Census rank
#13,660
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,124 bearers of the surname Kast in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13660th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kast, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kast
The surname KAST is believed to have originated in Germany, dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "kaste," which means "box" or "chest." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to those who made or sold boxes or chests.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KAST can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the Duchy of Saxony, which mentions a "Konrad Kast" in the year 1283. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname KAST appeared in various records across Germany, including the Stadtbuch (city book) of Nuremberg, which listed a "Hans Kast" in 1368. This indicates that the name had spread to different parts of the country by this time.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name KAST was also found in several historical documents in Austria and Switzerland, suggesting that bearers of the name had migrated to these regions. For example, in 1492, a "Peter Kast" was recorded in the records of the city of Salzburg, Austria.
One notable individual with the surname KAST was Johann Kast (1516-1591), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was born in Nuremberg and later became a professor at the University of Marburg.
Another notable figure was Johann Friedrich Kast (1696-1768), a German architect and builder who was responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in the region of Saxony, including the Frauenkirche in Dresden.
In the 18th century, the name KAST was also found in the records of the Palatinate region of Germany, where a "Johannes Kast" was listed as a resident of the town of Deidesheim in 1732.
In the 19th century, the surname KAST gained more prominence, with several individuals making significant contributions in various fields. For example, Friedrich Kast (1809-1881) was a German painter known for his landscapes and historical scenes, while Carl Kast (1838-1898) was a prominent German-American brewer who founded the Kast Brewing Company in St. Louis, Missouri.
Another notable figure was Max Kast (1870-1944), a German philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Berlin and wrote extensively on subjects such as ethics and logic.
Throughout its history, the surname KAST has undergone various spellings and variations, including Kaste, Kasth, and Kasten, which further underscores its German origins and linguistic roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kast
Among Census respondents with the surname Kast, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kast 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 Kast surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 1,931
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 76
- Two or more races3.2% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 14
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kast
Kast 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
#14,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,048
+70 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 555 places
2020
#13,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,124
+76 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 889 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,994 | 1,978 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,549 | 2,048 | 0.69 | +70 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 555 places |
| 2020 | #13,660 | 2,124 | 0.71 | +76 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 889 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 Kast 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 | #14,549 | #13,660 | 6.1% |
| Count | 2,048 | 2,124 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.71 | 3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kast bearers went from 2,048 to 2,124 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 889 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,549 to #13,660.
FAQ
Kast surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kast?
Name Census estimates that about 2,436 living Americans carry the surname Kast. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,704 residents.
How common is Kast?
Kast ranks #13,660 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,124 people with the surname Kast. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,436), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kast.
Has Kast become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kast went from 2,048 recorded bearers to 2,124. That is an increase of 76 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,549 to #13,660.
What does the Census say about the background of Kast?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kast, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Kast in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (1,931 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kast appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Kast (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 Kast mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a cabinetmaker, from Middle High German kaste meaning "box, chest." 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 Kast (0.71 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 people have the last name Kast?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Kast on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.