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

Kunes, 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 Kunes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kunes in America

Kunes is the 37735th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kunes surname appeared 589 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 Kunes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kunes 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 Kunes

The surname Kunes is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Old Czech word "kun," meaning a horse or steed. The name likely referred to someone who worked with horses, such as a stable hand, horse breeder, or one who traded in these animals.

During the medieval period, the name Kunes appeared in various historical records and documents from the region. It was found in the Liber Viridis, a 14th-century land register from the town of Chrudim, which mentioned several individuals bearing this surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kunes dates back to 1387, when a certain Jan Kunes was listed as a resident of the village of Brozany, near the town of Chrudim. Another notable figure was Petr Kunes, a landowner and minor nobleman from the village of Zibohlavy, who lived in the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Kunes appeared in the Berní Rula, a tax register compiled for the Kingdom of Bohemia. One entry from 1654 mentioned a Matej Kunes, a farmer from the village of Lukov.

Over the centuries, variations in spelling arose, such as Kunesh, Kuneš, and Kunesch, reflecting regional dialects and language evolution. The name Kunes was also found in other parts of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, including present-day Slovakia and Austria.

Notable individuals with the surname Kunes include:

1. Jan Kunes (1592-1664), a Czech theologian and writer from Litomyšl.
2. Václav Kunes (1836-1921), a Czech teacher and author from Ratibořice.
3. Josef Kunes (1901-1963), a Czech painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and portraits.
4. Ladislav Kunes (1925-2005), a Czech film director and screenwriter whose works explored themes of wartime resistance.
5. Petr Kunes (born 1974), a Czech professional ice hockey player who played for several teams in the Czech Extraliga and the NHL.

While the surname Kunes has its roots in the Czech lands, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kunes

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

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 Kunes 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 Kunes 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 Kunes was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!