Find out how popular the last name Kess is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kess.

Kess, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kess surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kess in America

Kess is the 49999th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kess surname appeared 419 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kess.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kess to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kess

The surname Kess has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is believed to have been derived from the German word "Kesse," which means "boiler" or "kettle." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to someone who worked with boilers or kettles, perhaps a metalworker or a brewer.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various forms, such as Kesse, Kess, and Kesse. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time. One of the earliest documented examples of the name can be found in the Cologne municipal records from 1292, where a certain Hermann Kesse is mentioned.

As the name spread across Germany, it also found its way into neighboring regions. In the Netherlands, for instance, the name Kess can be traced back to the 16th century. One notable Dutch bearer of the name was Cornelis Kess, a prominent merchant who lived in Amsterdam in the late 1500s.

In the United Kingdom, the surname Kess has been present since the 17th century, likely brought over by German immigrants. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Kess, a German-born clockmaker who settled in London in the 1630s.

Among the notable historical figures with the surname Kess is Johann Kess the Elder (1592-1647), a German painter and engraver who was renowned for his religious works. Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Johann Kess the Younger (1627-1696), who followed in his father's footsteps as a painter and is best known for his portraits and landscapes.

Other individuals of note include Johann Baptist Kess (1766-1828), an Austrian composer and violinist who was a contemporary of Mozart and Beethoven. In the realm of literature, there was Karl Kess (1861-1928), a German poet and playwright who was part of the Naturalist movement in the late 19th century.

Across various regions and time periods, the surname Kess has been associated with a range of professions and accomplishments, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bore this name throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kess

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kess.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kess was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kess has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kess was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kess, please contact us.

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