2000
#54,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 357
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Kuhnke
A habitational name for someone from a place with a dense grove of trees, or a topographic name for someone living near such a place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 443 Americans carry the last name Kuhnke. That puts it at #57,050 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 773,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kuhnke 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
443
1 in 773,712
Census rank
#57,050
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
386
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 386 bearers of the surname Kuhnke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 57050th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuhnke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuhnke
The surname "KUHNKE" is of German origin and is believed to have emerged in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is derived from the German word "Kühnke," which is a diminutive form of the name "Kühn," meaning "bold" or "brave." The name likely originated in the regions of northern Germany, particularly in the areas around modern-day Berlin and Brandenburg.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "KUHNKE" can be found in the church records of the town of Prenzlau, located in the state of Brandenburg, dating back to the early 18th century. The name appears to have been more prevalent in the rural areas surrounding Berlin and Brandenburg, where it was likely associated with farming communities.
In the 19th century, the name "KUHNKE" gained wider recognition with the birth of the German painter and illustrator Wilhelm KUHNKE (1824-1887). Born in the town of Neuruppin, near Berlin, KUHNKE became known for his landscape paintings and illustrations, many of which depicted the scenic beauty of the Brandenburg region.
Another notable figure bearing the surname "KUHNKE" was the German historian and theologian Martin KUHNKE (1876-1948). Born in the town of Stolp, in what is now modern-day Poland, KUHNKE was a respected scholar and author, publishing several works on the history of the Protestant Reformation and the life of Martin Luther.
During the 20th century, the name "KUHNKE" gained international recognition with the birth of the German-American physicist and Nobel laureate Wolfgang KUHNKE (1916-1993). Born in Berlin, KUHNKE made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1981 for his work on the theory of superconductivity.
Another notable figure was the German-American composer and conductor Hans KUHNKE (1921-2007). Born in the city of Leipzig, KUHNKE emigrated to the United States in the 1940s and became known for his compositions and arrangements for film and television, including the iconic theme music for the television series "Mission: Impossible."
While the name "KUHNKE" may have originated in northern Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with families bearing this surname now found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and various European nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuhnke
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuhnke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuhnke 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 Kuhnke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 358
- Two or more races4.7% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 6
- Black or African American0.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuhnke
Kuhnke 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
#52,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 393
+36 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 1,416 places
2020
#57,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 386
-7 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 4,314 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,152 | 357 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,736 | 393 | 0.13 | +36 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 1,416 places |
| 2020 | #57,050 | 386 | 0.13 | -7 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 4,314 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 Kuhnke 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 | #52,736 | #57,050 | -8.2% |
| Count | 393 | 386 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuhnke bearers went from 393 to 386 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 4,314 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,736 to #57,050.
FAQ
Kuhnke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuhnke?
Name Census estimates that about 443 living Americans carry the surname Kuhnke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 773,712 residents.
How common is Kuhnke?
Kuhnke ranks #57,050 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 386 people with the surname Kuhnke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (443), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Kuhnke.
Has Kuhnke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuhnke went from 393 recorded bearers to 386. That is a decrease of 7 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #52,736 to #57,050.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuhnke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuhnke, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Kuhnke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (358 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuhnke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Kuhnke (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 Kuhnke mean?
A habitational name for someone from a place with a dense grove of trees, or a topographic name for someone living near such a place. 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 Kuhnke (0.13 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 Kuhnke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.