Koy last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Koy is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Koy.

Meaning of Koy

A surname of Scandinavian origin derived from the Old Norse word "kǫyr" meaning "cow."

Koy, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Koy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koy in America

Koy is the 38902nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koy surname appeared 567 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Koy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koy to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 38902 42056 -7.79%
Count 567 486 15.38%
Proportion per 100k 0.19 0.18 5.41%

The history of the last name Koy

The surname KOY originated from the Dutch language and is believed to have been derived from the Middle Dutch word "kooi," which means "cage" or "coop." This name was likely adopted by someone who lived near or worked with cages, such as a poultry farmer or a bird keeper. The earliest known record of the name KOY can be traced back to the 16th century in the Netherlands.

In the late 16th century, a Dutch family with the surname KOY settled in the town of Leiden, which was a thriving center for textile production. Some historical records from this period mention a Jan KOY, a skilled weaver who lived in Leiden between 1580 and 1642.

As the Dutch expanded their influence through trade and colonization, the name KOY began to appear in various parts of the world. One notable example is Jacob KOY, a Dutch explorer and navigator who was born in Amsterdam in 1624 and participated in several expeditions to the East Indies.

In the 17th century, a branch of the KOY family migrated to what is now modern-day South Africa, where they established themselves as farmers and landowners. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in South Africa is that of Pieter KOY, who was born in 1672 and owned a large farm in the Cape Colony.

During the 18th century, the name KOY gained prominence in the Netherlands, with several members of the family achieving success in various fields. One such individual was Willem KOY, a renowned painter and engraver who was born in Rotterdam in 1745 and became known for his intricate landscapes and portraits.

Another notable bearer of the surname KOY was Johannes KOY, a Dutch theologian and philosopher who lived from 1770 to 1841. He was a respected scholar and author, known for his works on religious and philosophical topics.

As the centuries passed, the KOY family continued to spread across different parts of the world, with members contributing to various fields, including art, literature, science, and business. Despite its Dutch origins, the surname KOY has now become a part of the cultural tapestry of many countries, reflecting the rich diversity and shared histories of people from around the globe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koy

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Koy.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Koy was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 39.68% 225
Non-Hispanic Black Only 3.70% 21
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 52.56% 298
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.65% 15
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Koy has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 39.68% 47.33% -17.58%
Black 3.70% 2.26% 48.32%
Asian and Pacific Islander 52.56% 45.27% 14.90%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.65% 4.12% -43.43%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Koy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Koy, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Koy last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/koy-surname-popularity/.

"Koy last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/koy-surname-popularity/. Accessed 21 November, 2024

Koy last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/koy-surname-popularity/.

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