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

Kors, 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 Kors surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kors in America

Kors is the 86645th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kors surname appeared 215 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kors.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kors 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 Kors

The surname KORS has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Norway. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name KORS is derived from the Old Norse word "kross," which means "cross." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals involved in religious activities or those who resided near a prominent cross or church.

In ancient Swedish records, the name appeared with variations such as "Kors" and "Kors-en." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the evolution of language over time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KORS can be found in the Gutalagen, an ancient legal code of the island of Gotland, Sweden, dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions an individual named "Kors Gunnarsson," providing evidence of the name's existence during that era.

In Norway, the name KORS was also present in historical records. The Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval documents, contains references to individuals bearing the name, such as "Thorstein Kors" in the 14th century.

While the name KORS was not particularly widespread, it did produce a few notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Nils Kors (1583-1655), a Swedish military officer and nobleman who served as the Governor of Gotland during the 17th century.

Another notable KORS was Johan Kors (1686-1763), a Swedish-born painter and artist who gained recognition for his religious paintings and portraits, particularly those commissioned by the Swedish Royal Court.

In the literary realm, Catharina Kors (1701-1784) was a Swedish writer and translator who contributed to the early development of Swedish literature.

The name KORS also has ties to certain place names in Scandinavia. For example, the Swedish town of Korsberga, which translates to "Cross Mountain," likely derived its name from the presence of a prominent cross or church in the area.

While not as extensively documented as some other surnames, the name KORS has a rich history rooted in Scandinavian culture and language, with references spanning several centuries and various fields, including military, art, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kors

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

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

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

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