2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kaupa
A surname derived from the Estonian word "kaup", meaning "merchant" or "trader".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Kaupa. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kaupa 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Kaupa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaupa, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kaupa
The surname Kaupa has its origins in the Baltic region, specifically in the areas of modern-day Lithuania and Latvia. It is believed to have emerged around the 16th century, derived from the Lithuanian word "kaupas," which means "heap" or "pile." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near or worked on mounds or hills.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kaupa surname can be found in the Lithuanian Metrica, a collection of official documents from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania dating back to the 15th century. The name appears as early as the 1530s, indicating its longstanding presence in the region.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Kaupa surname was Jonas Kaupa, a Lithuanian writer and philosopher who lived from 1632 to 1691. His works explored themes of ethics, metaphysics, and theology, contributing significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time.
Another historical figure associated with the Kaupa name was Jurgis Kaupa, a Lithuanian military commander who fought against the Swedish forces during the Deluge, a series of wars that ravaged the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the mid-17th century. His bravery and leadership were recognized by his contemporaries.
In the 19th century, Antanas Kaupa (1828-1901) was a prominent Lithuanian linguist and lexicographer. He dedicated his life to the study and preservation of the Lithuanian language, compiling one of the first comprehensive Lithuanian-German dictionaries, which remains an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers.
Moving into the 20th century, Vladas Kaupa (1904-1985) was a Lithuanian artist renowned for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in his homeland. His works are celebrated for their vivid colors and realistic portrayal of the Lithuanian countryside.
It is worth noting that variations of the Kaupa surname, such as Kaupo, Kaupos, and Kaupaitis, can also be found in historical records, reflecting the diverse linguistic and cultural influences that shaped the Baltic region over time.
While the Kaupa surname may not be as widely recognized as some other European surnames, its rich history and connections to notable figures in various fields highlight the significance of this name in the cultural tapestry of the Baltic region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kaupa
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaupa, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kaupa 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 Kaupa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kaupa
Kaupa 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
#118,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
+2 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,820 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-26 bearers (-17.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,185 | 147 | 0.05 | +2 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 5,820 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-17.7%) | Down 23,124 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 Kaupa 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 | #118,185 | #141,309 | -19.6% |
| Count | 147 | 121 | -17.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kaupa bearers went from 147 to 121 (-17.7% change). The surname moved down 23,124 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,185 to #141,309.
FAQ
Kaupa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kaupa?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Kaupa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Kaupa?
Kaupa ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Kaupa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kaupa.
Has Kaupa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kaupa went from 147 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 26 (-17.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,185 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Kaupa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaupa, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Kaupa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kaupa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Black (2.5%). 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 Kaupa (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 Kaupa mean?
A surname derived from the Estonian word "kaup", meaning "merchant" or "trader". 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 Kaupa (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Kaupa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.