2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kuentz
A surname derived from a German place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Kuentz. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kuentz 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Kuentz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuentz
The surname Kuentz originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the German word "Kunz," which is a diminutive form of the personal name "Konrad" or "Kuno."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Kuentz surname can be found in the Bavarian town records from the 15th century. It is likely that the name was initially associated with a person named Konrad or Kuno, and over time, it evolved into a hereditary surname.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Kuentz (1490-1558) was a renowned German cartographer and engraver. His works included detailed maps of various regions in Europe, which were highly regarded during his time.
Another prominent individual with the Kuentz surname was Johann Kuentz (1620-1688), a German theologian and writer. He authored several religious texts and served as a pastor in various churches throughout his life.
During the 18th century, a family of Kuentz winemakers gained recognition in the Rheingau region of Germany. Their vineyards produced some of the finest wines in the area, and their legacy continued for several generations.
In the 19th century, Karl Kuentz (1815-1892) was a German-American architect and civil engineer. He immigrated to the United States and worked on several notable projects, including the design of the Wisconsin State Capitol building in Madison.
Another notable figure was Johannes Kuentz (1865-1938), a German-born botanist and plant collector. He conducted extensive research on the flora of South Africa and made significant contributions to the study of plant species in that region.
Throughout its history, the Kuentz surname has been associated with various professions, including cartography, theology, winemaking, architecture, and botany. While the name originated in Germany, it has since been carried by individuals across different parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped human societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuentz
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuentz 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 Kuentz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 6
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuentz
Kuentz 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,191 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 5,191 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,529 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 Kuentz 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 | #139,228 | #145,757 | -4.7% |
| Count | 120 | 115 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuentz bearers went from 120 to 115 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #145,757.
FAQ
Kuentz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuentz?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Kuentz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Kuentz?
Kuentz ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Kuentz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Kuentz.
Has Kuentz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuentz went from 120 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuentz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Kuentz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuentz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Hispanic (5.2%), Black (3.5%). 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 Kuentz (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 Kuentz mean?
A surname derived from 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 Kuentz (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 people are called Kuentz?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Kuentz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.