Find out how popular the last name Kunau is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kunau.

Kunau, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kunau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kunau in America

Kunau is the 96799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kunau surname appeared 188 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kunau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kunau to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kunau

The surname KUNAU originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "kunau," which referred to a meadow or pasture land. This suggests that the name's earliest bearers may have resided in a rural area or worked as farmers or herders.

The name KUNAU can be traced back to the region of Saxony-Anhalt, particularly in the areas around the towns of Kunau and Kuhnau. These place names share a similar etymology to the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and its geographic origins.

In the 14th century, records mention a nobleman named Heinrich von Kunau, who owned lands near the town of Kunau. This early mention of the name in historical documents highlights its longstanding presence in the region.

The earliest known written record of the surname KUNAU appears in the Liber Censuum, a 13th-century manuscript compiled by the Catholic Church, which listed landowners and their properties for tax purposes.

One notable figure bearing the KUNAU surname was Johann Gottlob Kunau (1737-1828), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. His works contributed significantly to the theological discourse of his time.

Another individual of note was Carl Gottlob Kunau (1772-1838), a German jurist and legal scholar. He served as a judge and played a crucial role in reforming the legal system in Saxony-Anhalt.

In the late 19th century, Heinrich Kunau (1850-1923) made significant contributions to the field of engineering. He designed and oversaw the construction of several notable bridges and infrastructure projects in Germany.

The name KUNAU also appears in the military records of the 19th century, with Wilhelm Kunau (1820-1894) serving as a Prussian general during the Franco-Prussian War.

Lastly, Hans Kunau (1905-1981), a German architect, left a lasting mark on the architectural landscape of Berlin with his innovative designs and contributions to the city's post-war reconstruction efforts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kunau

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kunau.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kunau was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kunau has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kunau was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kunau, please contact us.

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