2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kaupas
An ethnic Lithuanian surname derived from the Lithuanian word for "hill" or "mound".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 149 Americans carry the last name Kaupas. That puts it at #134,631 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,300,365 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kaupas 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
149
1 in 2,300,365
Census rank
#134,631
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
130
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 130 bearers of the surname Kaupas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 134631st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaupas, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kaupas
The surname Kaupas is believed to have originated in Lithuania, with its roots stretching back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Lithuanian word "kaupas," which means "hill" or "mound." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who lived or worked near a prominent hill or mound.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Kaupas surname can be found in the chronicles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where a nobleman named Jonas Kaupas was mentioned in the late 16th century. This suggests that the name had already been established and in use by that time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Kaupas surname was primarily concentrated in the western and central regions of Lithuania, particularly around the towns of Kaunas and Vilnius. Some historical documents from this period, such as parish records and land registry documents, contain references to individuals with the Kaupas surname.
In the 19th century, the Kaupas surname began to spread beyond Lithuania as a result of increased migration and population movements. One notable figure from this era was Antanas Kaupas (1836-1912), a Lithuanian priest and educator who played a significant role in promoting Lithuanian culture and education.
Another prominent individual with the Kaupas surname was Jonas Kaupas (1868-1943), a Lithuanian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Seimas (Parliament) and was involved in the Lithuanian independence movement during the early 20th century.
Moving into the 20th century, Kazys Kaupas (1901-1986) was a Lithuanian-American author and journalist who wrote extensively about Lithuanian culture and history. He was also actively involved in the Lithuanian-American community.
In the field of sports, Algirdas Kaupas (1927-2010) was a Lithuanian basketball player and coach who represented the Soviet Union at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, where the team won a bronze medal.
Lastly, Valentinas Kaupas (born 1956) is a contemporary Lithuanian artist known for his paintings and sculptures, many of which explore themes of Lithuanian culture and mythology.
While the Kaupas surname has its roots in Lithuania, it has now spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the Lithuanian word "kaupas" and its association with hills or mounds in the country's historical landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kaupas
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaupas, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kaupas 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 Kaupas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 5
- Two or more races2.3% · 3
- Black or African American1.5% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kaupas
Kaupas 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
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,521 places
2020
#134,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+12 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,509 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11,521 places |
| 2020 | #134,631 | 130 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 6,509 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 Kaupas 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 | #134,631 | 4.6% |
| Count | 118 | 130 | 10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kaupas bearers went from 118 to 130 (+10.2% change). The surname moved up 6,509 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #134,631.
FAQ
Kaupas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kaupas?
Name Census estimates that about 149 living Americans carry the surname Kaupas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,300,365 residents.
How common is Kaupas?
Kaupas ranks #134,631 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 130 people with the surname Kaupas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (149), 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 Kaupas.
Has Kaupas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kaupas went from 118 recorded bearers to 130. That is an increase of 12 (+10.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #141,140 to #134,631.
What does the Census say about the background of Kaupas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaupas, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Kaupas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kaupas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Kaupas (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 Kaupas mean?
An ethnic Lithuanian surname derived from the Lithuanian word for "hill" or "mound". 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 Kaupas (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 common is the surname Kaupas?
Want to know how common the surname Kaupas is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.