2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kukta
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a Czech or Slovak word.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Kukta. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kukta 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Kukta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kukta, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kukta
The surname KUKTA is believed to have originated in Poland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "kuchta," which referred to a household cook or a servant in charge of the kitchen. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as cooks or had responsibilities related to the kitchen and food preparation.
In the early 16th century, the name KUKTA appeared in various historical documents and records in the Polish region, particularly in areas around Kraków and Lublin. One notable reference is found in the "Akta Grodzkie i Ziemskie" (Records of the Crown Tribunals and Land Courts), where a certain Jan KUKTA was mentioned in 1534 as a resident of the village of Bodzanów, near Kraków.
The earliest known bearer of the KUKTA surname was Maciej KUKTA, born around 1480 in the town of Kazimierz Dolny, located in the Lublin Voivodeship (province) of Poland. Historical records indicate that he was a cook in the household of a local nobleman, which aligns with the occupational origin of the name.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various Polish towns and villages, such as Kielce, Radom, and Sandomierz. One notable figure was Andrzej KUKTA (1620-1687), a prominent baker and confectioner from Sandomierz, who was renowned for his skill in creating intricate gingerbread designs and pastries.
Another historically significant individual with the KUKTA surname was Katarzyna KUKTA (1745-1819), a philanthropist from Kraków who established a charitable foundation to support orphans and the poor. She was widely respected for her generosity and commitment to social welfare.
In the 19th century, the KUKTA name gained further prominence with the birth of Józef KUKTA (1858-1932), a renowned Polish painter and illustrator. He was known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works were exhibited in major galleries across Europe.
Towards the end of the 19th century and into the early 20th century, the KUKTA surname appeared in various other regions of Poland, including Silesia, Pomerania, and Masuria, likely due to migration and population movements within the country.
While the KUKTA name has its roots in Poland, it is important to note that variations of the surname, such as Kukta, Kuktacz, or Kuktiński, may also be found in other Central and Eastern European countries, reflecting the mobility and cultural exchange that occurred throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kukta
Among Census respondents with the surname Kukta, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kukta 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 Kukta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kukta
Kukta 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+11 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 548 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-19 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,246 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +11 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 548 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 18,246 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 Kukta 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 | #128,249 | #146,495 | -14.2% |
| Count | 133 | 114 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kukta bearers went from 133 to 114 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 18,246 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #146,495.
FAQ
Kukta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kukta?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Kukta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Kukta?
Kukta ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Kukta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Kukta.
Has Kukta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kukta went from 133 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Kukta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kukta, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Kukta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kukta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Kukta (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 Kukta mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a Czech or Slovak word. 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 Kukta (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 Kukta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.