2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kazemba
An African surname derived from a village name or tribal affiliation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Kazemba. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kazemba 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Kazemba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kazemba, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kazemba
The surname Kazemba is an ancient one that finds its origins in central Africa, specifically in the modern-day region of Zambia. It is believed to have emerged as early as the 16th century, deriving from a Bantu word that roughly translates to "one who leads" or "guide."
The earliest documented references to the name Kazemba can be found in the records of Portuguese explorers and missionaries who ventured into the region during the 16th and 17th centuries. These accounts often mention the Kazemba as a powerful chieftain or ruler of a vast territory that stretched across parts of what is now Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Kazemba Lualua, a prominent chief who ruled over the Lunda Empire in the late 17th century. His reign was marked by territorial expansion and political consolidation, and he is credited with establishing a centralized system of governance that endured for generations.
Another notable figure was Kazemba Mpemba, a 19th-century ruler who presided over the Kazembe Kingdom, a successor state to the Lunda Empire. Mpemba was known for his diplomatic skills and his efforts to maintain peaceful relations with neighboring kingdoms and the Portuguese colonial authorities.
In the realm of scholarship, one cannot overlook Kazemba Chilala, a renowned historian and anthropologist who lived in the early 20th century. Chilala's work focused on preserving and documenting the rich cultural traditions and oral histories of the Kazemba people, making invaluable contributions to our understanding of central African societies.
The name Kazemba has also been associated with various place names throughout the region, such as the Kazembe District in Zambia and the Kazembe River, which flows through parts of Malawi and Mozambique. These place names serve as enduring reminders of the historical significance and influence of the Kazemba people.
While the surname Kazemba may not be as widely known as some others, it holds a rich and fascinating history that spans centuries and encompasses elements of leadership, cultural preservation, and the exploration of vast and diverse regions of central Africa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kazemba
Among Census respondents with the surname Kazemba, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kazemba 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 Kazemba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 95
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kazemba
Kazemba 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,950 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,104 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,950 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Up 5,104 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 Kazemba 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 | #153,769 | #148,665 | 3.3% |
| Count | 106 | 111 | 4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kazemba bearers went from 106 to 111 (+4.7% change). The surname moved up 5,104 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #148,665.
FAQ
Kazemba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kazemba?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Kazemba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Kazemba?
Kazemba ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Kazemba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Kazemba.
Has Kazemba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kazemba went from 106 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 5 (+4.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Kazemba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kazemba, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Kazemba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kazemba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Two or More Races (6.3%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Kazemba (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 Kazemba mean?
An African surname derived from a village name or tribal affiliation. 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 Kazemba (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 people have the last name Kazemba?
Want to know how many people are called Kazemba? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.