2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kunak
A surname indicating origins from the village of Kunak.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Kunak. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kunak 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Kunak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kunak
The surname KUNAK is believed to have originated in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, specifically in the areas that are now parts of Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. The name is thought to be derived from the Slavic root word "kun," which means "horse" or "knight." This suggests that the surname may have been initially associated with individuals who worked with horses, such as horse breeders, trainers, or members of the cavalry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KUNAK can be traced back to the 15th century in the Duchy of Masovia, a region that was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. A document from 1462 mentions a landowner named Jan Kunak, who held properties in the village of Kuników.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name KUNAK appears in various historical records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, often associated with noble families and landowners. For instance, in 1587, a nobleman named Mikołaj Kunak was granted a coat of arms by King Sigismund III Vasa for his military service.
In the 18th century, the name KUNAK spread to other parts of Eastern Europe, including present-day Belarus and Ukraine. One notable figure from this period was Fyodor Kunak (1735-1805), a Russian military officer who served under Catherine the Great and participated in the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792.
As the name KUNAK became more widespread, it also evolved into different spellings and variations, such as Kuniak, Kunyk, and Kunik. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and linguistic shifts.
In the 19th century, several individuals bearing the surname KUNAK made significant contributions in various fields. For example, Ivan Kunak (1815-1892) was a Ukrainian scholar and writer who played a crucial role in preserving and promoting Ukrainian language and culture. Another noteworthy figure was Józef Kunak (1848-1919), a Polish engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of mechanical engineering.
Other notable individuals with the surname KUNAK include:
1. Andrzej Kunak (1892-1972), a Polish painter and graphic artist known for his landscapes and portraiture.
2. Mykola Kunak (1903-1986), a Soviet Ukrainian writer and playwright, recognized for his contributions to children's literature.
3. Halyna Kunak (1929-2007), a Ukrainian actress and theater director, celebrated for her work in both Ukrainian and Russian theater.
4. Volodymyr Kunak (born 1957), a Ukrainian politician and diplomat who served as the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland from 2008 to 2016.
5. Agnieszka Kunak (born 1977), a Polish artist and sculptor, known for her large-scale public installations and sculptures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kunak
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kunak 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 Kunak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kunak
Kunak 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,150 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,918 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 15,150 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 1,918 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 Kunak 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 | #154,907 | #152,989 | 1.2% |
| Count | 105 | 105 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kunak bearers went from 105 to 105 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 1,918 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #152,989.
FAQ
Kunak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kunak?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Kunak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Kunak?
Kunak ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Kunak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Kunak.
Has Kunak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kunak went from 105 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Kunak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunak, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kunak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kunak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Kunak (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 Kunak mean?
A surname indicating origins from the village of Kunak. 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 Kunak (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 Kunak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.