2000
#110,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kochenour
A German and Americanized spelling of the surname Kochner, meaning "cook" from the occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Kochenour. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kochenour 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Kochenour in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kochenour, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kochenour
The surname Kochenour has its origins in Germany, originating in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Kochenauer," which means "resident of the Kochau region." The Kochau region was located in what is now the state of Bavaria in southern Germany.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kochenour can be found in the church records of the town of Wurzburg, Bavaria, dating back to the early 1600s. These records mention a family by the name of Kochenauer, which is likely the original spelling of the surname before it was anglicized.
As the name spread beyond Germany, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Kochenour, Kochenauer, Kochenower, and Kochenor. These variations were likely the result of immigration to other countries and the influence of different languages and dialects.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Kochenour was Johann Kochenour, who was born in Wurzburg, Bavaria, in 1685. He is recorded as having emigrated to the American colonies in the early 18th century, settling in Pennsylvania.
Another notable figure with the Kochenour surname was Peter Kochenour, born in 1752 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, a prominent Kochenour was William Kochenour, born in 1825 in Ohio. He was a successful businessman and landowner, and his name is mentioned in several historical records and documents from that time period.
John Kochenour, born in 1870 in Indiana, was a prominent educator and administrator. He served as the president of several universities and colleges throughout his career.
One of the most recent notable individuals with the Kochenour surname was Elizabeth Kochenour, born in 1920 in Pennsylvania. She was a renowned author and poet, known for her works exploring themes of nature and the human experience.
Throughout its history, the Kochenour surname has maintained its German roots and connections, while also spreading to various parts of the world, particularly North America, where it has become well-established.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kochenour
Among Census respondents with the surname Kochenour, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Kochenour 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 Kochenour surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 115
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kochenour
Kochenour 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
#120,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
-4 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 9,664 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-29 bearers (-20.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,570 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #110,523 | 148 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,187 | 144 | 0.05 | -4 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 9,664 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-20.1%) | Down 25,570 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 Kochenour 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 | #120,187 | #145,757 | -21.3% |
| Count | 144 | 115 | -20.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kochenour bearers went from 144 to 115 (-20.1% change). The surname moved down 25,570 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,187 to #145,757.
FAQ
Kochenour surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kochenour?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Kochenour. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Kochenour?
Kochenour ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Kochenour. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Kochenour.
Has Kochenour become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kochenour went from 144 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 29 (-20.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,187 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Kochenour?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kochenour, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Kochenour in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kochenour appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Kochenour (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 Kochenour mean?
A German and Americanized spelling of the surname Kochner, meaning "cook" from the occupation. 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 Kochenour (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 Americans have the surname Kochenour?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.