Kc
Of Indian origin, a surname denoting a person from the Kannauj or Kanauj region.
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Kc. That puts it at #141,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kc 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.
Kc appeared in the 2000 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#141,788
2000 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Kc in its 2000 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kc, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and White (8.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kc
The surname KC is an unusual and less common surname with an intriguing history. Its origins can be traced back to Nepal, primarily among the Chhetri caste, which is considered a subgroup of the Kshatriya varna. The etymology of KC is believed to be derived from the initials of a traditionally significant family or lineage name within the Chhetri community.
The use of initials as surnames is quite rare, and it is suggested that KC may have originated as a shorthand or anglicized version of a longer, more complex Nepali surname. It typically denotes families with notable standing or heritage and may have been adopted during the British colonial period in South Asia to simplify documentation processes.
Historical references to the surname KC are sparse due to its unusual form. However, traditional Nepali records and local chronicles often referred to notable families or clans abbreviated in an initial format. Transcriptions of these records into English or other languages could have led to the adoption of KC as a surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KC appears in the mid-20th century, notably with the personality Kaji Kalu KC, a respected figure within his community, whose work as a bureaucrat in Nepal during the 1950s and 1960s left a lasting impact on local governance.
Famed within academic circles, Dr. Ramesh KC, born in 1958, contributed significantly to the field of physics in Nepal, marking a significant point in the surname's history. His published works in the late 20th century remain referenced in scientific research and literature.
In the arts, Lakshmi KC (1942-1999) was renowned for her work as an illustrator and painter, gaining recognition throughout the 1970s and contributing significantly to Nepal's cultural heritage.
Another notable figure is Ram Prasad KC, born in 1947, who played a pivotal role in the development of modern education systems in rural Nepal, his efforts significantly improving literacy rates and educational infrastructure in isolated communities.
Lastly, the engineer and philanthropist Dinesh KC, born in 1965, is renowned for his work from the 1990s onwards in developing sustainable engineering practices and contributing to numerous charitable initiatives aimed at improving public health and safety across Nepal.
These historical figures highlight the diverse achievements of individuals bearing the KC surname, adding layers of depth to its legacy and cultural importance in Nepalese society. The surname KC, therefore, embeds both the historical significance and contemporary contributions of its bearers in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kc
Among Census respondents with the surname Kc, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and White (8.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kc bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2000 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 Kc surname at the time of the 2000 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander80.6%
- Two or more races9.3%
- White8.3%
- Unknown or suppressed1.8%
FAQ
Kc surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kc?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Kc. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Kc?
Kc ranks #141,788 in the 2000 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 2000 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Kc. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), 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 Kc.
Has Kc become more or less common over time?
Kc appears here with 2000 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Kc?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kc, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and White (8.3%). These figures come from the 2000 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kc in the 2000 Census, accounting for 80.6%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kc appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2000 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (80.6%), Two or More Races (9.3%), White (8.3%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Kc appears here with 2000 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Kc mean?
Of Indian origin, a surname denoting a person from the Kannauj or Kanauj region. 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 2000 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 Kc (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 share the surname Kc?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.