2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kochenower
A habitational name for someone from a place with a Germanic name containing the elements "Kuchen" meaning cook or baker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Kochenower. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kochenower 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Kochenower in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kochenower, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kochenower
The surname Kochenower has its origins in the German language, and is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, located in the southern part of modern-day Germany. The name is thought to have emerged sometime during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
The name Kochenower is believed to be derived from the German word "Kochen," which means "to cook" or "to boil." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade, perhaps a cook or someone involved in the preparation of food. It is also possible that the name may have been a reference to a location or place name associated with cooking or food production.
While there are no definitive historical references to the name Kochenower in ancient manuscripts or records, it is likely that variations of the name existed in various forms and spellings throughout the centuries. Some of the earliest recorded examples of the name include Johannes Kochenower, born in 1642 in Nuremberg, and Heinrich Kochenower, born in 1674 in Augsburg.
One notable person with the surname Kochenower was Wilhelm Kochenower, a German painter and artist who lived from 1804 to 1871. He was known for his landscape paintings and was a member of the Düsseldorf School of Painting.
Another individual with this surname was Friedrich Kochenower, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1786 to 1852. He was a professor at the University of Heidelberg and wrote extensively on topics related to religion and metaphysics.
In the 18th century, there was a prominent family with the surname Kochenower in the town of Bamberg, Bavaria. This family was known for their involvement in the local brewing industry, which further reinforces the potential connection between the name and occupations related to food and beverage production.
Johann Kochenower, born in 1712 in Nuremberg, was a notable figure in the field of mathematics and astronomy. He authored several works on celestial mechanics and contributed to the advancement of scientific understanding during the Enlightenment period.
Additionally, there was a small village in Bavaria called Kochenau, which may have been the origin of a place name that later evolved into the surname Kochenower. This village was known for its fertile farmland and agricultural production, further connecting the name to themes of food and sustenance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kochenower
Among Census respondents with the surname Kochenower, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kochenower 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 Kochenower surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kochenower
Kochenower appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 361 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 Kochenower 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 | #143,149 | #142,788 | 0.3% |
| Count | 116 | 119 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kochenower bearers went from 116 to 119 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 361 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #142,788.
FAQ
Kochenower surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kochenower?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Kochenower. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Kochenower?
Kochenower ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Kochenower. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Kochenower.
Has Kochenower become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kochenower went from 116 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Kochenower?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kochenower, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Kochenower in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kochenower appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Kochenower (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 Kochenower mean?
A habitational name for someone from a place with a Germanic name containing the elements "Kuchen" meaning cook or baker. 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 Kochenower (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 are called Kochenower?
Find out how many people are called Kochenower on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.