Kitsos last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kitsos

A Greek surname possibly derived from "kiss" meaning ivy or from a place name.

Kitsos, 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 Kitsos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kitsos in America

Kitsos is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kitsos surname appeared 189 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 Kitsos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kitsos 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 96368 83965 13.76%
Count 189 208 -9.57%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.08 -28.57%

The history of the last name Kitsos

The surname Kitsos is of Greek origin and can be traced back to the Byzantine era. It is believed to have originated from the Greek word "kytos," which means "whale" or "large sea creature." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived near the sea or worked as a fisherman.

The earliest known record of the surname Kitsos dates back to the 14th century, where it was mentioned in a Byzantine manuscript from the island of Crete. This document referred to a family of merchants and landowners who bore the name Kitsos.

During the Ottoman rule in Greece, the name Kitsos appeared in several tax records and land registries, particularly in the regions of Peloponnese and the Aegean islands. This indicates that the Kitsos family had established themselves as influential figures in these areas.

One notable figure in the history of the Kitsos name was Georgios Kitsos, who lived in the 16th century. He was a prominent scholar and scribe known for his work in preserving and transcribing ancient Greek texts. His efforts contributed significantly to the preservation of Greek literary heritage during the Ottoman occupation.

In the 18th century, a man named Alexandros Kitsos gained recognition as a skilled shipbuilder and naval engineer. He was responsible for the construction of several ships for the Venetian Republic, which played a crucial role in maritime trade and naval warfare.

Another notable Kitsos was Konstantinos Kitsos, who was born in 1820 on the island of Lesbos. He was a renowned painter and is considered one of the pioneers of Greek Romantic art. His works often depicted scenes of everyday life and landscapes, capturing the essence of Greek culture and traditions.

During the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century, the name Kitsos appeared in various military records and accounts. Several members of the Kitsos family were actively involved in the revolutionary movement, fighting alongside other Greek patriots against Ottoman rule.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Kitsos surname was also found in various regions of Greece, including the Cyclades islands and the Peloponnese peninsula. Some individuals bearing this name gained prominence in fields such as literature, education, and politics, contributing to the cultural and intellectual development of modern Greece.

Overall, the surname Kitsos has a rich history rooted in the Greek culture and traditions. It has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, sailors, and revolutionaries, each leaving their mark on the tapestry of Greek history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kitsos

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

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 Kitsos was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.12% 176
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 5.82% 11

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 Kitsos has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.12% 95.19% -2.20%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 5.82% (S)% (S)%

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 Kitsos was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Kitsos last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on September 4, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kitsos-surname-popularity/.

"Kitsos last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kitsos-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 September, 2025

Kitsos last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/kitsos-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.