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

Kontos, 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 Kontos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kontos in America

Kontos is the 17406th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kontos surname appeared 1,621 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kontos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kontos 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 Kontos

The surname Kontos is of Greek origin and dates back to the Byzantine period. It is derived from the Greek word "kontos," which means "short" or "small." This suggests that the name may have been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was short in stature.

The earliest known record of the name Kontos can be found in the Byzantine archives from the 11th century, where it was used as a surname for families residing in the region of Thessaly, in central Greece. The name was also prevalent in the Greek islands, particularly in the Cyclades and the Dodecanese.

In the 13th century, during the Frankish occupation of Greece, the name Kontos appeared in several manuscripts and records from the Latin Kingdom of Constantinople. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of the Greek world and was recognized by the Frankish rulers.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kontos was Georgios Kontos, a Byzantine scholar and theologian who lived in the 12th century. He was known for his contributions to the study of Greek philosophy and his writings on the teachings of the Orthodox Church.

Another notable figure was Ioannis Kontos, a Greek revolutionary who fought against the Ottoman Empire during the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century. He was born in 1783 on the island of Crete and played a significant role in the uprising against Ottoman rule.

In the late 19th century, the surname Kontos was associated with the island of Lesbos (also known as Mytilene). One of the most prominent figures from this period was Panagiotis Kontos (1855-1921), a Greek lawyer and politician who served as the mayor of Mytilene and was a member of the Greek parliament.

During the 20th century, the name Kontos gained recognition in the field of literature. Petros Kontos (1892-1965) was a Greek poet and translator who is best known for his translations of works by William Shakespeare and other English writers into Greek.

Another notable individual with the surname Kontos was Georgios Kontos (1892-1970), a Greek architect who designed several iconic buildings in Athens, including the National Archaeological Museum and the Numismatic Museum.

While the surname Kontos has its roots in Greece, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Greek immigration. However, the name remains closely associated with its Greek heritage and the rich cultural and historical legacy of the Hellenic civilization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kontos

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kontos, please contact us.

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