2000
#19,991
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,242
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Kue
A surname that likely originated as a German place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,511 Americans carry the last name Kue. That puts it at #13,320 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,501 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kue 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
2.5K
1 in 136,501
Census rank
#13,320
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,190 bearers of the surname Kue in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13320th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kue, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and White (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kue
The surname KUE has its origins in Germany, dating back to the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the old German word "Kue," which referred to a cow or a bovine animal. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as cowhands or were involved in the cattle trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KUE can be found in the historical records of the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Heinreich Kue was mentioned in a document from the year 1298. This document detailed a land transaction, indicating that the KUE family had established roots in the region during that era.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in several other German territories, including the Palatinate region and the state of Bavaria. The spellings varied slightly, with variations such as "Kuhe" and "Kuhne" being documented in local records and registers.
One notable bearer of the KUE name was Johannes Kue, a scholar and theologian who lived in the late 15th century. He was born in the city of Erfurt in 1456 and gained recognition for his contributions to the study of canon law and ecclesiastical teachings.
During the Renaissance period, the KUE surname gained further prominence with the emergence of the artist and engraver, Matthäus Kue. Born in Augsburg in 1512, he was renowned for his intricate woodcut designs and illustrations, which adorned many books and publications of the time.
Another significant figure was Hans Kue, a military commander who served in the Thirty Years' War during the early 17th century. He was born in Nuremberg in 1587 and rose through the ranks, eventually leading a contingent of troops in several major battles against the Swedish forces.
In the 19th century, the name KUE was associated with the German philosopher and writer, Friedrich Kue. Born in Berlin in 1811, he was a prominent figure in the Romantic literary movement and authored several influential works on aesthetics and cultural criticism.
It is worth noting that while the KUE surname has Germanic roots, it has been adopted and carried forward by families across various regions and countries over the centuries, with its meaning and origins deeply rooted in the historical traditions of central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kue
Among Census respondents with the surname Kue, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and White (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kue 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 Kue surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.4% · 2,046
- Two or more races2.2% · 48
- White2.1% · 45
- Black or African American1.6% · 34
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kue
Kue 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
#15,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,818
+576 bearers (+46.4%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 4,021 places
2020
#13,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,190
+372 bearers (+20.5%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 2,650 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,991 | 1,242 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,970 | 1,818 | 0.62 | +576 bearers (+46.4%) | Up 4,021 places |
| 2020 | #13,320 | 2,190 | 0.73 | +372 bearers (+20.5%) | Up 2,650 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 Kue 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 | #15,970 | #13,320 | 16.6% |
| Count | 1,818 | 2,190 | 20.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.73 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kue bearers went from 1,818 to 2,190 (+20.5% change). The surname moved up 2,650 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,970 to #13,320.
FAQ
Kue surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kue?
Name Census estimates that about 2,511 living Americans carry the surname Kue. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,501 residents.
How common is Kue?
Kue ranks #13,320 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,190 people with the surname Kue. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,511), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kue.
Has Kue become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kue went from 1,818 recorded bearers to 2,190. That is an increase of 372 (+20.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,970 to #13,320.
What does the Census say about the background of Kue?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kue, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and White (2.1%). 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 Kue in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (2,046 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kue appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.4%), Two or More Races (2.2%), White (2.1%). 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 Kue (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 Kue mean?
A surname that likely originated as a German 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 Kue (0.73 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 Kue?
You can see how common the surname Kue is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.