2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kornafel
A Slavic surname derived from words meaning "horn" and "horn maker".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Kornafel. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kornafel 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Kornafel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kornafel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kornafel
The surname Kornafel is believed to have originated in the region of Silesia, which is now part of modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic. The name is thought to have its roots in the early medieval period, sometime around the 12th or 13th century.
One theory suggests that Kornafel is derived from the Old Slavic words "korn" and "afel", which together could mean "one who works with or trades in corn or grain". This would indicate that the original bearers of the name were likely involved in agriculture or the grain trade.
Another possible origin is that Kornafel is a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a specific geographical feature, such as a cornfield or a settlement named after corn or grain. In this case, the name may have originated as a descriptive term before becoming a hereditary surname.
The earliest known record of the Kornafel name appears in a 14th-century document from the city of Wroclaw, then part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. This document mentions a person named Jakub Kornafel, who was a landowner and local merchant.
Over the centuries, various spellings of the name have been recorded, including Kornaffel, Kornaffal, and Kornafal. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects, scribal errors, or attempts to transliterate the name into other languages.
One notable individual bearing the Kornafel surname was Jan Kornafel (1523-1597), a renowned Polish scholar and writer who authored several works on history and theology. He was also a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation in Poland.
Another significant figure was Katarzyna Kornafel (1647-1720), a noble woman from the Silesian region who was known for her philanthropic efforts and support of various charitable causes.
In the 18th century, a Kornafel family established itself in the town of Bielsko, now part of southern Poland. One member of this family, Józef Kornafel (1751-1832), was a respected merchant and civic leader who played a role in the town's economic development.
The 19th century saw the birth of Antoni Kornafel (1816-1891), a Polish artist and painter who was celebrated for his landscapes and portraiture.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, a woman named Maria Kornafel (1902-1978) gained recognition as a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Poland.
While the Kornafel surname may not be as widely known as some others, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from academia and literature to art and civic leadership.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kornafel
Among Census respondents with the surname Kornafel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kornafel 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 Kornafel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 102
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kornafel
Kornafel 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,861 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,323 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 8,861 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 4,323 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 Kornafel 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 | #153,769 | #149,446 | 2.8% |
| Count | 106 | 110 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kornafel bearers went from 106 to 110 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 4,323 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #149,446.
FAQ
Kornafel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kornafel?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Kornafel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Kornafel?
Kornafel ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Kornafel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Kornafel.
Has Kornafel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kornafel went from 106 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Kornafel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kornafel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Kornafel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kornafel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Black (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Kornafel (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 Kornafel mean?
A Slavic surname derived from words meaning "horn" and "horn maker". 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 Kornafel (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 many people share the surname Kornafel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.