2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kology
A surname likely derived from a place name or occupational term related to coal mining or production.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Kology. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kology 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Kology in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kology, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kology
The surname KOLOGY has its origins in the ancient Greek word "logos", which means "word" or "study". It is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Greece around the 5th century BCE.
The earliest recorded use of the surname KOLOGY can be traced back to the city of Athens, where it was used by scholars and philosophers who studied the nature of language and communication. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Socrates, the renowned philosopher who lived from 470-399 BCE.
Over time, the name spread throughout the Greek world and into other regions of the Mediterranean. During the Byzantine Empire, KOLOGY became associated with members of the clergy and those who studied theology and the teachings of the Church.
In the 12th century, a notable figure bearing the name KOLOGY was Michael Akominatos, a Byzantine scholar and theologian who served as the Archbishop of Athens from 1182 to 1204. His writings on theology and philosophy were widely influential during his time.
As the name traveled westward, it underwent various spelling variations, such as KOLOGHY and KOLOGEE. In the 16th century, a Italian humanist scholar named Pietro Cologio, born in 1499, was known for his contributions to the study of classical literature and philosophy.
In the 17th century, a French mathematician and philosopher named Nicolas Cologny, born in 1619, made significant advancements in the field of calculus and is remembered for his work on the theory of infinitesimals.
Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Gottlieb Kologrivov, a Russian linguist and philologist who lived from 1753 to 1818. He is celebrated for his contributions to the study of Slavic languages and his efforts to preserve the linguistic heritage of Russia.
Throughout history, the surname KOLOGY has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to the fields of language, philosophy, theology, and academia. While the spelling and pronunciation may have evolved over time, the name has maintained its connection to the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual endeavors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kology
Among Census respondents with the surname Kology, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kology 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 Kology surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 109
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kology
Kology 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+14 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,631 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-14 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 3,631 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 14,289 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 Kology 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 | #132,206 | #146,495 | -10.8% |
| Count | 128 | 114 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kology bearers went from 128 to 114 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 14,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #146,495.
FAQ
Kology surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kology?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Kology. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Kology?
Kology ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Kology. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Kology.
Has Kology become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kology went from 128 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Kology?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kology, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Kology in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kology appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Black (2.6%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Kology (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 Kology mean?
A surname likely derived from a place name or occupational term related to coal mining or production. 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 Kology (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 common is the surname Kology?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Kology on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.