2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kourafas
A Greek surname derived from the village of Kourafo near Missolonghi.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Kourafas. 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 Kourafas 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 Kourafas 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 Kourafas, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kourafas
The surname Kourafas originates from Greece and can be traced back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "kourafeuo," which means "to plunder" or "to pillage." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who were involved in raiding or plundering activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kourafas can be found in a manuscript from the island of Crete, dated around 1487. The document mentions a certain Georgios Kourafas, who was a landowner in the region of Rethymno. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the Cretan society by that time.
In the 16th century, the name Kourafas appeared in various historical records from the Greek mainland. For instance, a merchant named Ioannis Kourafas was mentioned in a trade document from the city of Thessaloniki, dated 1524. This indicates that the name had spread beyond the island of Crete and was present in other parts of Greece as well.
During the 17th century, the Kourafas family gained prominence in the region of Epirus, located in northwestern Greece. Historical records from that period mention a notable figure named Konstantinos Kourafas (1611-1679), who was a prominent landowner and local leader in the area.
In the 18th century, the name Kourafas can be found in various documents from the Greek islands, particularly in the Cyclades archipelago. One notable individual was Alexandros Kourafas (1726-1801), a merchant and ship owner from the island of Naxos, who played a significant role in the island's trade activities.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several notable figures with the surname Kourafas. One example is Ioannis Kourafas (1823-1892), a Greek scholar and educator who contributed to the development of modern Greek education. Another is Nikolaos Kourafas (1851-1919), a politician and member of the Greek Parliament, representing the region of Thessaly.
Throughout history, the surname Kourafas has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, scholars, and political figures. While the name's origins may have been linked to plundering or raiding activities, it has evolved over time and gained respectability in Greek society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kourafas
Among Census respondents with the surname Kourafas, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kourafas 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 Kourafas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kourafas
Kourafas 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,358 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,787 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 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 15,358 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 4,787 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 Kourafas 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 | #149,395 | #154,182 | -3.2% |
| Count | 110 | 103 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kourafas bearers went from 110 to 103 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 4,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #154,182.
FAQ
Kourafas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kourafas?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Kourafas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Kourafas?
Kourafas 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 Kourafas. 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 Kourafas.
Has Kourafas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kourafas went from 110 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Kourafas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kourafas, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Kourafas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kourafas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Kourafas (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 Kourafas mean?
A Greek surname derived from the village of Kourafo near Missolonghi. 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 Kourafas (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 have the surname Kourafas?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.