2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kokenes
A surname derived from the Greek word "kokkonari", meaning a pine tree or pine nut.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Kokenes. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kokenes 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Kokenes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kokenes, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kokenes
The surname KOKENES has its origins in the country of Greece, with roots dating back to the Byzantine era. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "kokinos," which means "red" or "crimson." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with reddish hair or complexion.
The earliest known records of the surname KOKENES can be traced back to the 14th century, where it appears in various manuscripts and documents from the region of Macedonia. One notable reference is found in a land deed from the city of Thessaloniki, dated 1387, which mentions a certain Georgios KOKENES as a landowner.
During the Ottoman period, the KOKENES surname was prevalent among Greek populations living in the areas of Thrace and Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Theodoros KOKENES served as a high-ranking official in the Ottoman court, responsible for managing the Empire's finances.
As the Greek diaspora spread across the Mediterranean and beyond, the KOKENES name traveled with them. In the late 18th century, a Greek merchant named Alexandros KOKENES settled in the city of Odessa, in modern-day Ukraine, where he established a successful trading business.
One of the most notable individuals with the KOKENES surname was Ioannis KOKENES (1820-1892), a Greek scholar and educator who played a significant role in the development of modern Greek education. He founded several prestigious schools in Athens and wrote numerous textbooks that were widely used throughout Greece.
Another prominent figure was Konstantinos KOKENES (1876-1942), a Greek military officer who served in the Balkan Wars and World War I. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and was awarded several medals for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 20th century, the KOKENES name continued to be carried by notable individuals, such as Georgios KOKENES (1901-1978), a renowned Greek painter and sculptor who contributed significantly to the modern art movement in his country.
While the KOKENES surname may have evolved and spread across different regions over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to the Greek-speaking populations of the Byzantine and Ottoman eras, where it likely originated as a descriptive name denoting a person's physical appearance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kokenes
Among Census respondents with the surname Kokenes, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kokenes 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 Kokenes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 108
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kokenes
Kokenes 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
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,407 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 Kokenes 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 | #152,628 | #147,221 | 3.5% |
| Count | 107 | 113 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kokenes bearers went from 107 to 113 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,221.
FAQ
Kokenes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kokenes?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Kokenes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Kokenes?
Kokenes ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Kokenes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Kokenes.
Has Kokenes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kokenes went from 107 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Kokenes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kokenes, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Kokenes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kokenes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Kokenes (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 Kokenes mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word "kokkonari", meaning a pine tree or pine nut. 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 Kokenes (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 Kokenes?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.