2010
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kulinich
A Ukrainian surname derived from the word "kulik", meaning "snipe" or "sandpiper".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Kulinich. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kulinich 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Kulinich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulinich, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kulinich
The surname Kulinich originates from Ukraine, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Ukrainian word "kulyn," which means "club" or "mace," suggesting a potential connection to a warrior or military background. The name is also closely related to the Polish surname "Kulinski."
The earliest known record of the name Kulinich can be found in the Halych-Volyn Chronicles, a medieval chronicle that documents the history of the Principality of Galicia–Volhynia, which was located in modern-day western Ukraine and eastern Poland. The name appears in entries dated around the late 14th century, referring to individuals from various noble families in the region.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Kulinich was Andrii Kulinich, a prominent military commander who served under Prince Danylo of Halych in the early 13th century. He played a crucial role in the defense of the principality against Mongol invasions and is mentioned in several contemporary chronicles for his bravery and strategic acumen.
In the 16th century, the Kulinich family was recorded as landowners in the Volyn region of Ukraine. One member of the family, Bohdan Kulinich, was a prominent figure in the Cossack uprising against Polish rule in the mid-17th century, participating in the renowned Battle of Khotyn in 1621.
Another notable figure was Hryhorii Kulinich, a Ukrainian philosopher and writer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was known for his works on ethics, moral philosophy, and Ukrainian folk traditions.
During the 19th century, the Kulinich surname was also documented in various regions of the Russian Empire, including present-day Belarus and parts of western Russia, likely due to migration and the changing borders of the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname outside of Eastern Europe was Mykhailo Kulinich, a Ukrainian immigrant to the United States who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 19th century. He became a prominent figure in the Ukrainian-American community and was involved in the establishment of several cultural organizations and churches.
Throughout history, the Kulinich surname has been associated with various influential figures in Ukraine, Poland, and other parts of Eastern Europe, reflecting its deep roots and historical significance in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kulinich
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulinich, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kulinich 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 Kulinich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kulinich
Kulinich 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-12 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,002 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 13,002 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 Kulinich 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 | #129,047 | #142,049 | -10.1% |
| Count | 132 | 120 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kulinich bearers went from 132 to 120 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 13,002 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #142,049.
FAQ
Kulinich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kulinich?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Kulinich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Kulinich?
Kulinich ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Kulinich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Kulinich.
Has Kulinich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kulinich went from 132 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Kulinich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kulinich, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Kulinich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kulinich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Hispanic (1.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Kulinich (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 Kulinich mean?
A Ukrainian surname derived from the word "kulik", meaning "snipe" or "sandpiper". 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 Kulinich (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 Kulinich?
See how many people have the surname Kulinich on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.