2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kucza
A Polish surname derived from a nickname referring to curly or frizzy hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Kucza. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kucza 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Kucza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kucza, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kucza
The surname Kucza originates from Poland, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "kucz," which means "curl" or "lock of hair." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with curly or unruly hair.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the use of surnames became more widespread in Poland, particularly among the nobility and upper classes. Many surnames were derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or place names. The name Kucza likely falls into the category of descriptive surnames based on personal attributes.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kucza can be found in the parish records of the village of Radzyń Chełmiński, located in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region of Poland. In 1593, a man named Jan Kucza was listed as a landowner in the village.
Another notable early bearer of the name was Stanisław Kucza, a Polish nobleman and military commander who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served in the armies of King Sigismund III Vasa and participated in several military campaigns against Sweden and Russia.
In the 18th century, a prominent Polish writer and philosopher named Józef Kucza (1722-1788) gained recognition for his works on ethics and moral philosophy. He was a professor at the University of Krakow and published several influential treatises during his lifetime.
During the 19th century, the name Kucza was associated with several notable figures in the Polish independence movement. One such individual was Tomasz Kucza (1824-1891), a revolutionary and member of the Polish National Government during the January Uprising against Russian rule in 1863-1864.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Wanda Kucza (1868-1942), a Polish educator and activist who founded several schools and educational organizations in the city of Poznań. She played a significant role in promoting Polish language and culture during the period of Prussian rule over the region.
While the name Kucza is primarily found in Poland, it has also been carried by individuals of Polish descent in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Polish emigration, such as the United States and Canada.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kucza
Among Census respondents with the surname Kucza, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kucza 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 Kucza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 102
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kucza
Kucza appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 5,086 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 Kucza 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 | #147,253 | #152,339 | -3.5% |
| Count | 112 | 106 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kucza bearers went from 112 to 106 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 5,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #152,339.
FAQ
Kucza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kucza?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Kucza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Kucza?
Kucza ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Kucza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Kucza.
Has Kucza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kucza went from 112 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Kucza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kucza, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Kucza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kucza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Black (0.9%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Kucza (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 Kucza mean?
A Polish surname derived from a nickname referring to curly or frizzy hair. 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 Kucza (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 many Americans have the surname Kucza?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.