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

Kuan, 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 Kuan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kuan in America

Kuan is the 20676th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kuan surname appeared 1,280 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 Kuan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kuan 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.

The history of the last name Kuan

The surname KUAN originated in China and has its roots in the Chinese language. It is believed to have first emerged during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in the regions of Guangdong and Fujian provinces.

KUAN is a romanized spelling of the Chinese characters 關 or 冠, which have various meanings such as "pass," "barrier," "crown," or "hat." The name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a mountain pass or worked as a gatekeeper or guard at a strategic location.

In ancient Chinese records, the earliest documented instance of the KUAN surname dates back to the 13th century. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD), a scholar named KUAN Zhongren (關中仁) gained recognition for his literary works and contributions to Confucian philosophy.

Another notable figure bearing the KUAN surname was KUAN Yu (關羽, 162-219 AD), a legendary warrior and general who served under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He is revered as one of the most celebrated figures in Chinese history and literature, featuring prominently in the famous 14th-century novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the KUAN family produced several influential officials and scholars. One example is KUAN Zhidao (關織道, 1536-1608), a prominent Neo-Confucian philosopher and educator who made significant contributions to the development of Confucian thought during that era.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), KUAN Tian-pu (關天溥, 1670-1743) was a renowned mathematician and astronomer. He made important advancements in the study of logarithms and played a crucial role in calendar reform efforts during his time.

In more recent history, KUAN Han-ching (關漢卿, 1908-1998) was a prominent Chinese playwright and author known for his works that explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kuan

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

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 Kuan was:

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 Kuan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Kuan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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