2000
#1,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,576
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.63
Uncommon Last name
Kauffman
An occupational surname of German origin referring to a merchant or trader, derived from the Middle High German "koufman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,224 Americans carry the last name Kauffman. That puts it at #1,523 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,070 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kauffman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kauffman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,070
Census rank
#1,523
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,869 bearers of the surname Kauffman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1523rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kauffman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kauffman
The surname Kauffman originates from Germany, where it first emerged in the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "Kaufmann," meaning "merchant" or "trader." The name likely referred to someone who worked as a merchant or was involved in commerce.
Kauffman is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, where trade and commerce were prevalent. The earliest known record of the name dates back to 1375, when a person named Hans Kauffman was mentioned in a document from the city of Augsburg.
During the Middle Ages, the Kauffman name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, including city registries and guild records. One notable mention is found in the Nuremberg Chronicles, a 15th-century illustrated world history book, which lists several individuals with the surname Kauffman.
In the 16th century, the Kauffman name began to spread beyond Germany, as merchants and traders traveled to other parts of Europe. Some individuals with this surname were involved in the establishment of trading companies and guilds in cities like Amsterdam and Antwerp.
Notable individuals with the surname Kauffman include:
1. Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807), a Swiss Neoclassical painter who was one of the founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
2. Reginald Wright Kauffman (1877-1944), an American author and journalist known for his novels and short stories set in the American West.
3. Nicolaas Kauffman (1892-1966), a Dutch footballer who played as a forward and represented the Netherlands national team in the 1920s.
4. Theodor Kauffman (1814-1896), a German philosopher and writer who was influential in the mid-19th century.
5. Johann Baptist Kauffman (1846-1923), an Austrian painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
The Kauffman name has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Germany. For example, the town of Kauffman in Saxony, Germany, is believed to have derived its name from the surname.
Overall, the surname Kauffman has a rich history rooted in the mercantile and trading traditions of Germany, and its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kauffman
Among Census respondents with the surname Kauffman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kauffman 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 Kauffman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 21,449
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 541
- Two or more races2.2% · 506
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 165
- Black or African American0.6% · 148
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kauffman
Kauffman 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
#1,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,353
+1,777 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 7.58
Rank movement Down 4 places
2020
#1,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,869
+516 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 7.65
Rank movement Up 83 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,602 | 20,576 | 7.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,606 | 22,353 | 7.58 | +1,777 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 4 places |
| 2020 | #1,523 | 22,869 | 7.65 | +516 bearers (+2.3%) | Up 83 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 Kauffman 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 | #1,606 | #1,523 | 5.2% |
| Count | 22,353 | 22,869 | 2.3% |
| Per 100K | 7.58 | 7.65 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kauffman bearers went from 22,353 to 22,869 (+2.3% change). The surname moved up 83 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,606 to #1,523.
FAQ
Kauffman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kauffman?
Name Census estimates that about 26,224 living Americans carry the surname Kauffman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,070 residents.
How common is Kauffman?
Kauffman ranks #1,523 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,869 people with the surname Kauffman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,224), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Kauffman.
Has Kauffman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kauffman went from 22,353 recorded bearers to 22,869. That is an increase of 516 (+2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,606 to #1,523.
What does the Census say about the background of Kauffman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kauffman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Kauffman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (21,449 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kauffman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (2.4%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Kauffman (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 Kauffman mean?
An occupational surname of German origin referring to a merchant or trader, derived from the Middle High German "koufman". 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 Kauffman (7.65 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 are called Kauffman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Kauffman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.