2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kowing
A surname derived from the German word meaning "courageous" or "valiant."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Kowing. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kowing 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Kowing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kowing, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kowing
The surname Kowing is believed to have originated in the German region of Bavaria during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word "kuon," meaning "brave" or "bold." This suggests that the name was likely a descriptive nickname given to a courageous individual or a family known for their bravery.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kowing can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 12th century. In this manuscript, a person named Kuningus von Kowing is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Kowing, located in the Bavarian region.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Hans Kowing (1320-1387) was a respected scholar and theologian at the University of Heidelberg. His writings on Christian theology and philosophy were widely studied during his lifetime and in the subsequent centuries.
The name Kowing also appeared in the records of the Holy Roman Empire, with a mention of a knight named Konrad Kowing (1415-1482) who served under Emperor Frederick III. Konrad was known for his valor in battle and was awarded lands in the region of Franconia for his loyal service.
In the 16th century, a merchant named Jakob Kowing (1525-1598) from the city of Nuremberg gained prominence for his successful trading ventures across Europe. He established a prosperous business empire and was instrumental in the development of the city's economy during the Renaissance period.
Another notable figure with the surname Kowing was Maria Kowing (1675-1743), a renowned artist from the Baroque period. Her intricate paintings and frescoes adorned many churches and noble residences across Bavaria, and her work was highly sought after by patrons of the arts.
Throughout history, the surname Kowing has been associated with various places and regions, including the town of Kowing in Bavaria, as well as areas in Franconia and Nuremberg. The name has also been spelled in different variations, such as Kowingen, Kowingh, and Kowingk, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the regions where it was prevalent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kowing
Among Census respondents with the surname Kowing, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kowing 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 Kowing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 107
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kowing
Kowing 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,613 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+13 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,675 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 15,613 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 12,675 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 Kowing 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 | #158,432 | #145,757 | 8.0% |
| Count | 102 | 115 | 12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kowing bearers went from 102 to 115 (+12.7% change). The surname moved up 12,675 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #145,757.
FAQ
Kowing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kowing?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Kowing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Kowing?
Kowing ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Kowing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Kowing.
Has Kowing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kowing went from 102 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 13 (+12.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Kowing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kowing, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Kowing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kowing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Kowing (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 Kowing mean?
A surname derived from the German word meaning "courageous" or "valiant." 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 Kowing (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 common is the surname Kowing?
See how many people have the surname Kowing on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.