2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kotick
A surname of Russian origin, possibly derived from the Slavic word "kot" meaning cat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Kotick. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kotick 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Kotick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kotick
The surname Kotick is believed to have originated in Russia, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Russian word "kotik," which translates to "little cat" or "kitten." This pet-related name could indicate that an ancestor may have had some connection to cats, perhaps as a breeder, trader, or simply a cat lover.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kotick surname can be found in a document from the Smolensk region of Russia, dated around 1587. This document mentions a landowner named Ivan Kotick, suggesting that the name had already been established in the area by that time.
In the 18th century, the Kotick surname appeared in several historical records from the city of Novgorod. One notable example is a merchant named Andrei Kotick, who was recorded in the city's trade registers in 1712. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of Russia and was becoming more widespread among the merchant class.
During the 19th century, the Kotick surname gained some prominence with the birth of Rafael Kotick in 1870. Rafael was a respected Russian writer and poet, known for his contributions to the Symbolist movement in literature. His works explored themes of spirituality and the human condition, and he is considered one of the notable figures of the Russian Silver Age.
Another prominent individual with the Kotick surname was Nikolai Kotick, a Russian military officer who served in the Imperial Russian Army during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nikolai was born in 1865 and participated in the Russo-Japanese War, where he earned several decorations for his bravery and leadership.
In the early 20th century, the Kotick surname found its way to the United States through immigration. One notable figure from this era was Alexander Kotick, a Russian-American businessman born in 1888. He founded a successful import-export company in New York City, which specialized in trading goods between Russia and the United States.
As the Kotick surname spread across different regions and countries, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. Some alternative spellings included Kotik, Kotikov, and Kotitsky, reflecting the diverse linguistic influences encountered by the name over time.
While the Kotick surname may have humble origins related to felines, it has since become associated with individuals who have made significant contributions in fields such as literature, military service, and business. Though originating in Russia, the name has traveled across borders and continues to hold a place in various cultures and communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kotick
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kotick 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 Kotick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kotick
Kotick 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,103 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-15 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,042 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 7,103 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 13,042 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 Kotick 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 | #141,140 | #154,182 | -9.2% |
| Count | 118 | 103 | -12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kotick bearers went from 118 to 103 (-12.7% change). The surname moved down 13,042 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #154,182.
FAQ
Kotick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kotick?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Kotick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Kotick?
Kotick ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Kotick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kotick.
Has Kotick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kotick went from 118 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Kotick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotick, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Kotick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kotick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Kotick (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 Kotick mean?
A surname of Russian origin, possibly derived from the Slavic word "kot" meaning cat. 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 Kotick (0.03 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 Kotick?
Find out how many people have the surname Kotick on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.