2010
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kul
An occupational surname potentially derived from a term meaning "cool" or "chilly".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Kul. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kul 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Kul in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kul, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.4%. The next largest groups are White (40.3%) and Black (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kul
The surname "KUL" originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It can be traced back to the Sanskrit language, where the word "kula" meant family or lineage. Over time, the word was adapted into various regional languages and evolved into different spellings, including "Kul" and "Kul."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "KUL" can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, where it was often used to denote noble or influential families. The name also appeared in several medieval Indian texts, including the works of renowned poets and scholars from the region.
In the 12th century, a notable individual named Kul Chand was a prominent minister and advisor to the Chauhan dynasty, which ruled over parts of present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat. His descendants continued to use the surname "KUL" for several generations.
Another notable figure with the surname "KUL" was Maharaja Kul Shekhar, a 16th-century ruler of the Chandela dynasty in central India. He was known for his patronage of the arts and architecture, and his reign saw the construction of several iconic monuments, including the famous Khajuraho temples.
In the 18th century, a scholar and poet named Kul Bhushan Bhatt gained recognition for his contributions to the Sanskrit literary tradition. His works explored themes of philosophy, spirituality, and the human condition.
During the 19th century, a renowned mathematician and astronomer named Kul Sompura made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He was born in the city of Jaipur in 1825 and was widely respected for his expertise in calculating planetary movements and predicting eclipses.
The surname "KUL" has also been associated with various place names across the Indian subcontinent, such as Kullu, a picturesque valley in the Himachal Pradesh region, and Kulithalai, a town in the state of Tamil Nadu. These place names may have influenced the spread and adoption of the surname over time.
While the surname "KUL" has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has also been embraced by individuals of various ethnicities and nationalities, reflecting the rich cultural diversity and historical influences that have shaped the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kul
Among Census respondents with the surname Kul, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.4%. The next largest groups are White (40.3%) and Black (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kul 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 Kul surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander50.4% · 60
- White40.3% · 48
- Black or African American5.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kul
Kul appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-12 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 12,963 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 Kul 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 | #129,825 | #142,788 | -10.0% |
| Count | 131 | 119 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kul bearers went from 131 to 119 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 12,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #142,788.
FAQ
Kul surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kul?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Kul. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Kul?
Kul ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Kul. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Kul.
Has Kul become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kul went from 131 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Kul?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kul, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.4%. The next largest groups are White (40.3%) and Black (5.9%). 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 Kul in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.4% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kul appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (50.4%), White (40.3%), Black (5.9%). 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 Kul (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 Kul mean?
An occupational surname potentially derived from a term meaning "cool" or "chilly". 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 Kul (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 Kul?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.