2000
#5,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,660
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.10
Rare Last name
Koon
A Dutch surname derived from an old Germanic personal name, Cono, meaning "bold" or "daring".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,188 Americans carry the last name Koon. That puts it at #6,098 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,390 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koon 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
6.2K
1 in 55,390
Census rank
#6,098
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,396 bearers of the surname Koon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6098th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koon, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koon
The surname Koon has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 12th century as a variation of the word "Kohn," derived from the Hebrew name "Kohen," meaning "priest." It is believed that the name was initially adopted by Jewish families residing in German territories.
In its early days, the name Koon was predominantly found in regions such as Bavaria and Franconia, where Jewish communities had established themselves. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in a manuscript dating back to 1178, which mentions a certain "Konrad Kohn" among the inhabitants of the city of Regensburg.
As the name spread across German-speaking lands, it underwent various spelling variations, including Kuhn, Kuehn, Kühn, and eventually, Koon. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Rabbi Meir ben Baruch Kohn (1163-1244), a renowned Talmudic scholar and author of the influential work "Haggahot Maimuniot." Born in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, he is considered a pivotal figure in the development of Jewish jurisprudence during the Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, the name Koon appeared in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Koon (1524-1589) was a prominent merchant and landowner. His descendants continued to play a significant role in the city's commercial and civic affairs for several generations.
Another individual of note was Salomon Kohn (1825-1904), a German-Jewish philanthropist and businessman from Frankfurt am Main. He was a prominent supporter of Jewish educational institutions and charitable causes, contributing significantly to the welfare of the local community.
As the centuries progressed, the Koon surname spread beyond German borders, with families bearing the name settling in various parts of Europe and eventually, the Americas. One notable figure was Carl Koon (1835-1912), a German-American engineer and inventor who played a crucial role in the development of early steam engines and locomotives.
In the realm of literature, the name Koon is associated with the American writer Harry Koon (1892-1976), whose works explored themes of rural life and the struggles of ordinary people in the early 20th century.
While the surname Koon has its roots in the Jewish communities of medieval Germany, it has since transcended its religious origins and can be found among people of diverse backgrounds and nationalities, each contributing to the rich tapestry of its historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koon
Among Census respondents with the surname Koon, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Koon 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 Koon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 4,474
- Black or African American5.6% · 302
- Two or more races4.3% · 234
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 208
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 153
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koon
Koon 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
#6,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,638
-22 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Down 458 places
2020
#6,098
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,396
-242 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.81
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,625 | 5,660 | 2.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,083 | 5,638 | 1.91 | -22 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 458 places |
| 2020 | #6,098 | 5,396 | 1.81 | -242 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 15 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 Koon 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 | #6,083 | #6,098 | -0.2% |
| Count | 5,638 | 5,396 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.91 | 1.81 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koon bearers went from 5,638 to 5,396 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,083 to #6,098.
FAQ
Koon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koon?
Name Census estimates that about 6,188 living Americans carry the surname Koon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,390 residents.
How common is Koon?
Koon ranks #6,098 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,396 people with the surname Koon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Koon.
Has Koon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koon went from 5,638 recorded bearers to 5,396. That is a decrease of 242 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,083 to #6,098.
What does the Census say about the background of Koon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koon, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Koon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (4,474 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Black (5.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Koon (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 Koon mean?
A Dutch surname derived from an old Germanic personal name, Cono, meaning "bold" or "daring". 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 Koon (1.81 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 have the last name Koon?
Find out how many people have the last name Koon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.