2000
#62,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 301
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Kuney
A variant spelling of the surname Kinney, possibly deriving from the Irish surname Ó Conaing meaning "descendant of Conang."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 359 Americans carry the last name Kuney. That puts it at #67,846 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 954,747 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kuney 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
359
1 in 954,747
Census rank
#67,846
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
313
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 313 bearers of the surname Kuney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 67846th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuney, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuney
The surname KUNEY has its origins in the German language, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from the 14th century, where it was spelled as "Kunei." This variation suggests that the name may have derived from an old German word or phrase related to a profession or a geographic location.
In the 15th century, the name appears in several historical records, including a mention in a manuscript from the city of Augsburg, where a person named Hans Kuney was listed as a prominent merchant and landowner.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the KUNEY surname began to spread across different regions of Germany and neighboring countries. This period saw the emergence of several notable individuals bearing this name, including Johann Kuney (1534-1602), a renowned scholar and theologian from Heidelberg.
As the name traveled across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Kunei, Kunay, and Küney. This diversity in spellings was common during that era, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet established.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KUNEY surname outside of Germany can be found in the records of the Dutch East India Company from the 17th century, where a sailor named Pieter Kuney was listed among the crew members of a ship sailing to the East Indies.
In the 18th century, the KUNEY surname gained prominence in the arts and literature. Johann Michael Kuney (1718-1792) was a celebrated painter from Frankfurt, known for his intricate portraits and landscapes.
As the 19th century dawned, the KUNEY name continued to spread across Europe and beyond. Notable individuals from this period include Friedrich Kuney (1814-1886), a prominent architect from Berlin who designed several landmark buildings in the city.
In the realm of literature, Heinrich Kuney (1856-1932) was a renowned German novelist and poet, whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
Throughout its history, the KUNEY surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, from scholars and artists to merchants and explorers. While the exact origin of the name remains uncertain, its enduring presence across centuries and continents is a testament to its rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuney
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuney, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuney 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 Kuney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 287
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 10
- Two or more races3.2% · 10
- Black or African American1.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuney
Kuney 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
#63,698
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 313
+12 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 1,462 places
2020
#67,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 313
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 4,148 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,236 | 301 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #63,698 | 313 | 0.11 | +12 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 1,462 places |
| 2020 | #67,846 | 313 | 0.10 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 4,148 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 Kuney 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 | #63,698 | #67,846 | -6.5% |
| Count | 313 | 313 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.10 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuney bearers went from 313 to 313 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 4,148 positions in the national ranking, going from #63,698 to #67,846.
FAQ
Kuney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuney?
Name Census estimates that about 359 living Americans carry the surname Kuney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 954,747 residents.
How common is Kuney?
Kuney ranks #67,846 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 313 people with the surname Kuney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (359), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Kuney.
Has Kuney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuney went from 313 recorded bearers to 313. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #63,698 to #67,846.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuney, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Kuney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (287 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Kuney (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 Kuney mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Kinney, possibly deriving from the Irish surname Ó Conaing meaning "descendant of Conang." 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 Kuney (0.10 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 Kuney?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.