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

Kobs, 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 Kobs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kobs in America

Kobs is the 25849th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kobs surname appeared 952 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 Kobs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kobs 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 Kobs

The surname KOBS has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the early 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Low German word "kobbe," which was used to refer to a hut or a small dwelling. This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived in a modest home.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KOBS surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Halberstadt, located in the present-day state of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1521, a man named Hans KOBS is listed as a resident of the town. It is possible that this record represents one of the earliest known uses of the surname.

As the KOBS name spread throughout Germany in the following centuries, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Kobbs, Kobbse, and Kobse. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.

In the 17th century, the KOBS surname appeared in several historical documents, including the records of the city of Hannover. A notable figure from this period was Johann KOBS, a merchant who was born in Hannover in 1635. His successful trading endeavors earned him a respectable reputation in the city.

The 18th century saw the emergence of another prominent KOBS, Friedrich KOBS, who was born in Berlin in 1742. Friedrich was a renowned scholar and philosopher, known for his contributions to the field of ethics. His work, "On the Principles of Moral Philosophy," published in 1789, was highly influential during the Enlightenment era.

In the 19th century, the KOBS surname became more widespread across Germany and beyond. One notable figure from this time was Karl KOBS, a German painter born in Dresden in 1825. Karl's landscapes and portraiture gained him recognition throughout Europe, and his works can be found in several prestigious art galleries today.

The early 20th century brought forth another notable KOBS, Ernst KOBS, a German mathematician and physicist born in 1897 in Göttingen. Ernst made significant contributions to the field of theoretical physics, particularly in the areas of quantum mechanics and relativity theory.

As the KOBS name continued to spread, it also gained a foothold in other parts of Europe and even in North America, where it was sometimes anglicized to variations like "Cobbs" or "Cobs." Despite these variations, the surname's roots can be traced back to its German origins and the humble meaning of a small dwelling or hut.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kobs

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kobs, 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!