2000
#15,485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,736
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.64
Rare Last name
Koren
An Old English surname possibly derived from an Old English place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,062 Americans carry the last name Koren. That puts it at #15,640 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,224 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koren 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
2.1K
1 in 166,224
Census rank
#15,640
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,798 bearers of the surname Koren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15640th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koren, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koren
The surname Koren is believed to have originated in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in present-day Croatia and Serbia. It is derived from the Slavic word "koren," which means "root" or "core," suggesting a connection to nature or a deeply-rooted family lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Koren can be found in the historical records of the medieval Kingdom of Croatia, where it appeared as early as the 12th century. These records often referred to individuals with the name Koren as landowners or members of the local nobility.
In the 16th century, the surname Koren gained prominence in the region of Dalmatia, particularly in the coastal city of Zadar. During this period, several notable individuals bearing the name Koren were recorded, including Petar Koren (1508-1572), a prominent trader and merchant who played a significant role in the city's economic development.
The name Koren also has connections to various place names in Eastern Europe. For instance, the village of Koren in the Littoral region of Slovenia is believed to have derived its name from the surname, indicating the presence of families bearing this name in the area.
Throughout history, several noteworthy individuals have carried the surname Koren. Some examples include:
1. Josip Koren (1766-1840), a Croatian writer and poet who is considered one of the pioneers of the Croatian literary revival in the 19th century.
2. Petar Koren (1887-1957), a Croatian theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of Christian ethics.
3. Velimir Koren (1909-1991), a Serbian painter and sculptor known for his abstract and surrealist works, which were heavily influenced by the Balkan region's folk art traditions.
4. Damir Koren (born 1958), a Croatian businessman and entrepreneur who has been involved in various ventures, including the energy sector and real estate development.
5. Radovan Koren (born 1973), a Serbian professional basketball player who played in several European leagues and represented the Yugoslav national team in international competitions.
While the surname Koren is primarily associated with the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Slavic cultures and their connection to the land and nature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koren
Among Census respondents with the surname Koren, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Koren 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 Koren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 1,685
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 60
- Two or more races2.1% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koren
Koren 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
#16,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,772
+36 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 788 places
2020
#15,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,798
+26 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 633 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,485 | 1,736 | 0.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,273 | 1,772 | 0.60 | +36 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 788 places |
| 2020 | #15,640 | 1,798 | 0.60 | +26 bearers (+1.5%) | Up 633 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 Koren 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 | #16,273 | #15,640 | 3.9% |
| Count | 1,772 | 1,798 | 1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.60 | 0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koren bearers went from 1,772 to 1,798 (+1.5% change). The surname moved up 633 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,273 to #15,640.
FAQ
Koren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koren?
Name Census estimates that about 2,062 living Americans carry the surname Koren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,224 residents.
How common is Koren?
Koren ranks #15,640 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,798 people with the surname Koren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,062), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Koren.
Has Koren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koren went from 1,772 recorded bearers to 1,798. That is an increase of 26 (+1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,273 to #15,640.
What does the Census say about the background of Koren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koren, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Koren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (1,685 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Koren (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 Koren mean?
An Old English surname possibly derived from an Old English place name. 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 Koren (0.60 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 Koren?
You can see how common the surname Koren is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.