2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kotrous
A surname derived from a Czech word meaning "happy" or "joyful".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Kotrous. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kotrous 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Kotrous in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotrous, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kotrous
The surname "KOTROUS" is of Czech origin, tracing its roots back to the regions of Bohemia and Moravia in the present-day Czech Republic. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, likely derived from an occupational or descriptive term related to the Czech word "kotrouch," meaning a person with curly or frizzy hair.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Bohemian Gubernatorial Records from the 16th century, where a certain Václav Kotrous is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Tábor. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.
The surname gained further prominence in the late 18th century, when a notable figure named Jan Kotrous (1742-1819) emerged as a prominent Czech writer and translator. His works, which included translations of classical literature and philosophical texts, played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual development of the Czech lands.
Another individual of note bearing the surname was Antonín Kotrous (1856-1932), a Czech architect and urban planner who made substantial contributions to the architectural landscape of Prague and other cities in the region. His designs combined elements of neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau styles, leaving a lasting legacy in the form of numerous public buildings and private residences.
In more recent times, the name Kotrous has been associated with the field of sports. One prominent figure is Petr Kotrous (born 1983), a former professional ice hockey player who represented the Czech Republic in several international tournaments, including the Winter Olympics and World Championships.
It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as "Kotrouš" or "Kotrus," may have existed in different regions or time periods, reflecting the evolution of the surname through oral traditions and local dialects.
While the surname "KOTROUS" may not be among the most common Czech surnames, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural and societal fabric of the Czech lands, spanning several centuries and encompassing diverse fields of endeavor.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kotrous
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotrous, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kotrous 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 Kotrous surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 111
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kotrous
Kotrous 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,150 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,953 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 15,150 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 6,953 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 Kotrous 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 | #154,907 | #147,954 | 4.5% |
| Count | 105 | 112 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kotrous bearers went from 105 to 112 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 6,953 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #147,954.
FAQ
Kotrous surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kotrous?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Kotrous. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Kotrous?
Kotrous ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Kotrous. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Kotrous.
Has Kotrous become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kotrous went from 105 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Kotrous?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotrous, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Kotrous in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kotrous appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Kotrous (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 Kotrous mean?
A surname derived from a Czech word meaning "happy" or "joyful". 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 Kotrous (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 have the last name Kotrous?
You can see how many people are called Kotrous on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.