2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kekua
A surname likely of Hawaiian origin, with an uncertain meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Kekua. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kekua 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Kekua in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kekua, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (21.0%) and Hispanic (12.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kekua
The surname Kekua is believed to have originated in Hawaii, and it is a Hawaiian name. The name is thought to derive from the Hawaiian word "kekua," which means "god" or "spirit." It is likely that the name was originally given to individuals who were believed to have a spiritual or divine connection or to those who were considered to have a strong spiritual presence.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kekua can be traced back to the late 18th century, when Hawaii was still a kingdom ruled by a monarchy. During this time, Hawaiian genealogies and oral traditions were carefully maintained, and it is possible that the name Kekua was mentioned in these records.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Kekua was Keōpūokalani Kekua, a Hawaiian ali'i (chief) who lived in the late 18th century. Keōpūokalani Kekua was a prominent figure in Hawaiian society and was known for his spiritual leadership and connection to the Hawaiian gods.
Another notable individual with the surname Kekua was Kekuaokalani, a Hawaiian ali'i who lived in the early 19th century. Kekuaokalani was known for her involvement in the Hawaiian cultural and religious traditions and was considered a respected spiritual leader.
In the mid-19th century, a Hawaiian named Kekua Kanakaokai was recorded as being a member of the Royal Hawaiian Guard, the elite military unit responsible for protecting the Hawaiian monarchy.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several individuals with the surname Kekua were involved in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, which sought to preserve and protect Hawaiian culture, language, and traditions. One such individual was Kekua Kalama, who was an advocate for Hawaiian rights and a prominent figure in the movement.
Another notable figure with the surname Kekua was Kekua Liliuokalani, a Hawaiian musician and composer who lived in the early 20th century. Kekua Liliuokalani was known for her compositions that celebrated Hawaiian culture and traditions, and her works helped to preserve and promote Hawaiian music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kekua
Among Census respondents with the surname Kekua, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (21.0%) and Hispanic (12.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kekua 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 Kekua surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander59.0% · 62
- Two or more races21.0% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino12.4% · 13
- White7.6% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kekua
Kekua appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,055 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 3,055 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 Kekua 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 | #156,044 | #152,989 | 2.0% |
| Count | 104 | 105 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kekua bearers went from 104 to 105 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 3,055 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #152,989.
FAQ
Kekua surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kekua?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Kekua. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Kekua?
Kekua ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Kekua. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Kekua.
Has Kekua become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kekua went from 104 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Kekua?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kekua, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (21.0%) and Hispanic (12.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kekua in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.0% (62 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kekua appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (59.0%), Two or More Races (21.0%), Hispanic (12.4%). 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 Kekua (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 Kekua mean?
A surname likely of Hawaiian origin, with an uncertain meaning. 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 Kekua (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 Kekua?
You can see how many people are called Kekua on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.