2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Kouf
Slavic surname likely derived from a place name, denoting geographic origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Kouf. 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 Kouf 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 Kouf 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 Kouf, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kouf
The surname KOUF originated in Germany during the Middle Ages, with its earliest known roots tracing back to the 11th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old German word "koufen," which means "to buy" or "to trade." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or profession related to commerce or trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KOUF surname can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval cartulary from the region of Westphalia, Germany. This document, compiled in the 13th century, contains references to individuals bearing the name KOUF, indicating that the surname had already established itself in that area by that time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Johann KOUF (1320-1387) was mentioned in the annals of the city of Cologne. He was a prominent merchant and guild member who played a significant role in the city's trade and economic affairs during that era.
The KOUF surname also appears in various historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries, often associated with individuals involved in mercantile activities or residing in towns and cities known for their trade and commerce. For instance, the Nuremberg Chronicle, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493, includes references to a family named KOUF residing in the city of Nuremberg, which was a major center of trade and craftsmanship during the Renaissance.
Another notable figure bearing the KOUF surname was Hans KOUF (1475-1548), a successful merchant and banker from the city of Augsburg, which was a significant trading hub in southern Germany during the 16th century. Hans KOUF was known for his extensive business dealings and his involvement in financing various economic and cultural endeavors in Augsburg.
In the 17th century, the KOUF surname can be found in records from the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, a historical state in northern Germany. One prominent individual was Dietrich KOUF (1620-1689), a landowner and influential figure in the local community who held various administrative positions within the duchy.
Throughout the centuries, the KOUF surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Kouff, Kauf, and Kauff, reflecting regional linguistic differences and changes in orthography over time. However, the core meaning and origins of the name have remained closely tied to its association with trade and commerce in its German roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kouf
Among Census respondents with the surname Kouf, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kouf 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 Kouf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 109
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kouf
Kouf appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,280 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 9,280 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 Kouf 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 | #157,234 | #147,954 | 5.9% |
| Count | 103 | 112 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kouf bearers went from 103 to 112 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 9,280 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #147,954.
FAQ
Kouf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kouf?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Kouf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Kouf?
Kouf 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 Kouf. 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 Kouf.
Has Kouf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kouf went from 103 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 9 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Kouf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kouf, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Kouf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kouf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Kouf (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 Kouf mean?
Slavic surname likely derived from a place name, denoting geographic origin. 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 Kouf (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 are called Kouf?
See how many people have the last name Kouf on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.