2000
#3,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,373
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.85
Uncommon Last name
Koontz
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of bone or ivory dice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,564 Americans carry the last name Koontz. That puts it at #3,458 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,640 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koontz 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
12K
1 in 29,640
Census rank
#3,458
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,084 bearers of the surname Koontz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3458th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koontz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koontz
The surname Koontz originated in Germany and is believed to have derived from the German word "Kuntze," which was a nickname meaning "little or brave one." This name has its roots in the medieval era, during the 12th and 13th centuries.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Koontz can be traced back to the Rhineland region of Germany, particularly in areas such as Cologne and Bonn. It is thought that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone with a brave or courageous demeanor.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it underwent various spelling variations, including Kuntz, Kunze, and Kuntze. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions during that time period.
One of the earliest known references to the name Koontz can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Lusatiae Superioris," a collection of historical documents from the region of Upper Lusatia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. This document, dated 1389, mentions a certain "Henricus Kuntze" as a witness to a land transaction.
Another notable historical figure bearing the surname Koontz was Johann Koontz, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1527 to 1599. He was known for his works on Protestant theology and his contributions to the Reformation movement.
In the 17th century, the name Koontz began to appear in various genealogical records and church registers across German-speaking regions, indicating its continued use and spread.
One prominent individual with the surname Koontz was Friedrich Koontz, a German soldier and military commander who lived from 1768 to 1838. He served in the Prussian Army during the Napoleonic Wars and was renowned for his strategic abilities.
Another notable figure was Sophie Koontz, a German painter and artist who lived from 1801 to 1868. She was known for her landscape paintings and portraits, which were highly regarded in her time.
As the surname Koontz spread beyond Germany, it also gained a foothold in other parts of Europe and eventually in the United States, where it has become more prevalent in recent centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koontz
Among Census respondents with the surname Koontz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Koontz 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 Koontz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 9,072
- Two or more races3.6% · 360
- Black or African American2.8% · 278
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 271
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koontz
Koontz 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
#3,392
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,538
+165 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 3.57
Rank movement Down 216 places
2020
#3,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,084
-454 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 3.37
Rank movement Down 66 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,176 | 10,373 | 3.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,392 | 10,538 | 3.57 | +165 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 216 places |
| 2020 | #3,458 | 10,084 | 3.37 | -454 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 66 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 Koontz 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 | #3,392 | #3,458 | -1.9% |
| Count | 10,538 | 10,084 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.57 | 3.37 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koontz bearers went from 10,538 to 10,084 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 66 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,392 to #3,458.
FAQ
Koontz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koontz?
Name Census estimates that about 11,564 living Americans carry the surname Koontz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,640 residents.
How common is Koontz?
Koontz ranks #3,458 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,084 people with the surname Koontz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,564), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Koontz.
Has Koontz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koontz went from 10,538 recorded bearers to 10,084. That is a decrease of 454 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,392 to #3,458.
What does the Census say about the background of Koontz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koontz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.8%). 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 Koontz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (9,072 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koontz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Black (2.8%). 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 Koontz (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 Koontz mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of bone or ivory dice. 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 Koontz (3.37 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 Koontz?
See how many people are called Koontz on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.