2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kukan
A surname derived from the Czech word "kuchyň" meaning kitchen or cook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Kukan. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kukan 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Kukan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kukan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kukan
The surname Kukan is of Croatian origin, emerging in the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the old Croatian word "kuka," which means "hook" or "curved shape." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a distinguishing physical feature or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a 14th-century document from the coastal town of Trogir, where a certain Ivan Kukan is mentioned as a fisherman. This lends credence to the theory that the name may have initially referred to those involved in fishing or maritime activities, perhaps using hooks or curved tools.
In the 16th century, the name is found in various records from the Dalmatian region, including the town of Šibenik. A notable example is Juraj Kukan (1495-1562), a renowned Renaissance poet and playwright who wrote in both Croatian and Latin.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name spread across the Balkans, with instances found in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. In Serbia, the Kukan family was prominent in the town of Novi Sad, with Jovan Kukan (1645-1712) serving as a respected magistrate and community leader.
In the 19th century, the name appeared in various parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, including modern-day Croatia, Slovenia, and Hungary. One notable figure was Antun Kukan (1817-1889), a Croatian lawyer and politician who played a significant role in the Croatian National Revival movement.
As Croatians and other Slavic peoples emigrated to other parts of the world, the name Kukan also spread to new regions. For instance, in the early 20th century, Ivan Kukan (1892-1974) was a Croatian-American entrepreneur who founded a successful construction company in New York City.
Throughout its history, the surname Kukan has maintained a strong presence in its homeland, with numerous individuals bearing the name contributing to various fields, including literature, politics, law, and business. While its origins may have been humble, the name has endured as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Croatian people and their diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kukan
Among Census respondents with the surname Kukan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kukan 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 Kukan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.3% · 8
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kukan
Kukan 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-8 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,136 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 17,136 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 51 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 Kukan 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 | #149,395 | #149,446 | -0.0% |
| Count | 110 | 110 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kukan bearers went from 110 to 110 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #149,446.
FAQ
Kukan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kukan?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Kukan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Kukan?
Kukan ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Kukan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Kukan.
Has Kukan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kukan went from 110 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Kukan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kukan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Kukan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kukan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Kukan (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 Kukan mean?
A surname derived from the Czech word "kuchyň" meaning kitchen or cook. 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 Kukan (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 have the surname Kukan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.