2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kentopp
A variant spelling of the German surname Kentopp, denoting a place name origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Kentopp. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kentopp 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Kentopp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kentopp, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kentopp
The surname KENTOPP originates from the region of Saxony in Germany, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German words "ken" meaning "battle" and "topp" meaning "peak" or "summit," suggesting a possible connection to a prominent hill or mountain where a significant battle may have taken place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KENTOPP can be found in the historic Landbuch of 1378, a manuscript documenting land ownership and taxation in the region. The name appears in the form "Kentop," which was likely an earlier spelling variation.
During the 16th century, the name KENTOPP is documented in various municipal records and church registers across Saxony. Notably, a certain Hans Kentopp is mentioned in the town records of Bautzen in 1542, indicating his involvement in local affairs.
In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Johann Kentopp (1618-1697), a renowned Lutheran theologian and author from Leipzig. His published works, including "Tractatus de Peccato Originali" (Treatise on Original Sin), were widely read and influential during his time.
Another notable figure bearing the KENTOPP surname was Friedrich Kentopp (1768-1843), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Dresden. He made significant contributions to the city's development and funded the construction of several public buildings and institutions.
Moving into the 19th century, the KENTOPP name was also associated with the arts. Carl Kentopp (1825-1892) was a celebrated German painter known for his landscape and genre paintings, many of which are housed in prestigious museums across Europe.
Additionally, the name KENTOPP has been linked to various place names in Saxony, such as Kentoppberg, a small village near Dresden, and Kentoppsee, a picturesque lake in the region. These locations may have derived their names from individuals or families bearing the KENTOPP surname who resided there or held significant influence in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kentopp
Among Census respondents with the surname Kentopp, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kentopp 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 Kentopp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kentopp
Kentopp 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+11 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,190 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-17 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,046 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 1,190 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 16,046 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 Kentopp 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 | #135,593 | #151,639 | -11.8% |
| Count | 124 | 107 | -13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kentopp bearers went from 124 to 107 (-13.7% change). The surname moved down 16,046 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #151,639.
FAQ
Kentopp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kentopp?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Kentopp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Kentopp?
Kentopp ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Kentopp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Kentopp.
Has Kentopp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kentopp went from 124 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Kentopp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kentopp, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Kentopp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kentopp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (5.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Kentopp (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 Kentopp mean?
A variant spelling of the German surname Kentopp, denoting a place name origin. 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 Kentopp (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 Kentopp?
Find out how many people are called Kentopp on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.