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

Kurgan, 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 Kurgan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kurgan in America

Kurgan is the 58481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kurgan surname appeared 347 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 Kurgan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kurgan 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 Kurgan

The surname Kurgan has its origins in Russia and dates back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Turkic word 'kurgan', which means a burial mound or a tumulus, reflecting the nomadic and warrior culture of the Turkic peoples who inhabited the steppes of Eurasia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kurgan can be found in the Veliky Novgorod Chronicles, a collection of medieval Russian chronicles dating back to the 12th century. The chronicles mention a person named Kurgan who was a prominent figure in the city of Novgorod during that time.

Another historical reference to the name Kurgan is found in the Voynich Manuscript, an illustrated codex from the 15th century, where a person with the surname Kurgan is mentioned. The Voynich Manuscript is an enigmatic document written in an unknown writing system, adding an air of mystery to the appearance of this surname.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Ivan Kurgan (1525-1598) was a skilled architect and engineer who contributed to the construction of several fortresses and churches in Moscow and other cities during the reign of Ivan the Terrible.

During the 18th century, a Russian military leader named Andrei Kurgan (1720-1788) gained recognition for his bravery and strategic skills in the Russo-Turkish Wars. He played a pivotal role in the conquest of the Crimean Peninsula and was awarded numerous honors for his service.

In the 19th century, a famous Russian explorer and geographer named Nikolai Kurgan (1835-1892) made significant contributions to the exploration of Central Asia. He led expeditions to map and study the geography, flora, and fauna of the region, and his findings were widely published and celebrated.

Throughout history, the surname Kurgan has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Kurgansk, Kurganskaya, and Kurganovo, reflecting the geographical origins and variations of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kurgan

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

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

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

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