2000
#8,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,755
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Ku
A Chinese surname meaning "withered" or "dried up," or referring to a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,606 Americans carry the last name Ku. That puts it at #5,790 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,885 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ku 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ku with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 51,885
Census rank
#5,790
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,761 bearers of the surname Ku in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5790th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ku, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ku
The surname "Ku" is believed to have originated in China, with its roots dating back to ancient times. It is thought to be derived from the Chinese word "ku," which means "bitter" or "suffering." This name may have been given to individuals who had endured hardships or challenges in their lives.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Ku" can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), where it appeared in various historical records and documents. During this period, the name was often associated with prominent scholars and officials who held influential positions within the imperial court.
One notable figure bearing the surname "Ku" was Ku Yen-wu (1613-1682), a renowned Chinese philosopher and essayist during the Ming Dynasty. He was widely renowned for his works on Neo-Confucianism and his critique of the traditional examination system.
Another prominent individual with the surname "Ku" was Ku Hung-ming (1857-1928), a Chinese scholar, writer, and diplomat. He played a significant role in introducing Western ideas and philosophies to China during the late Qing Dynasty and the early years of the Republic of China.
Moving forward in history, the surname "Ku" also appeared in various ancient manuscripts and records from different regions of China. For instance, the "Ku" name was documented in the Guangdong Province during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), where it was associated with several influential families and clans.
In the field of literature, Ku Ling (1904-1990), a Chinese author and playwright, made significant contributions to modern Chinese literature. His works often explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Ku Chieh-kang (1890-1935), a Chinese politician and military leader who played a crucial role in the Northern Expedition, a military campaign aimed at unifying China under the Kuomintang government in the 1920s.
Overall, the surname "Ku" has a rich and diverse history, with its origins rooted in ancient China. Throughout various dynasties and time periods, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions to various fields, including philosophy, literature, politics, and diplomacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ku
Among Census respondents with the surname Ku, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ku 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 Ku surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.3% · 4,972
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 328
- Two or more races4.1% · 237
- White3.6% · 205
- Black or African American0.3% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ku
Ku 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
#6,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,888
+1,133 bearers (+30.2%)
Per 100,000 1.66
Rank movement Up 1,254 places
2020
#5,790
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,761
+873 bearers (+17.9%)
Per 100,000 1.93
Rank movement Up 1,087 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,131 | 3,755 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,877 | 4,888 | 1.66 | +1,133 bearers (+30.2%) | Up 1,254 places |
| 2020 | #5,790 | 5,761 | 1.93 | +873 bearers (+17.9%) | Up 1,087 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 Ku 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 | #6,877 | #5,790 | 15.8% |
| Count | 4,888 | 5,761 | 17.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.66 | 1.93 | 16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ku bearers went from 4,888 to 5,761 (+17.9% change). The surname moved up 1,087 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,877 to #5,790.
FAQ
Ku surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ku?
Name Census estimates that about 6,606 living Americans carry the surname Ku. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,885 residents.
How common is Ku?
Ku ranks #5,790 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,761 people with the surname Ku. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,606), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ku.
Has Ku become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ku went from 4,888 recorded bearers to 5,761. That is an increase of 873 (+17.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,877 to #5,790.
What does the Census say about the background of Ku?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ku, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ku in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (4,972 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ku appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.3%), Hispanic (5.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Ku (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 Ku mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "withered" or "dried up," or referring to a place name. 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 Ku (1.93 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 share the surname Ku?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.