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

Kurian, 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 Kurian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kurian in America

Kurian is the 13953rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kurian surname appeared 2,163 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kurian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kurian 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 Kurian

The surname Kurian is believed to have originated in India, where it was historically a caste name associated with the Syriac Christian community in the state of Kerala. The name is thought to be derived from the Syriac word "quriyono," which means "reader" or "preacher."

Records suggest that the Kurian surname first emerged in the early centuries of the Christian era, as the Syriac Christian community began to establish itself in Kerala. These early Christians were likely descendants of traders and missionaries who traveled to the region from the Middle East.

One of the earliest known references to the Kurian name can be found in the Thazhekad Sasanam, a copper plate inscription dated to the 9th century CE. This document, which outlines the rights and privileges granted to the Christian community in Kerala, includes the signature of a certain "Kurian Shem'un."

Over the centuries, the Kurian name became closely associated with the St. Thomas Christian community of Kerala. Many prominent figures from this community bore the surname, including the 16th-century poet and scholar Kurian Elias Chundan (1518-1598), who is renowned for his contributions to Malayalam literature.

Another notable Kurian was Mar Abraham Kurian (1577-1644), a bishop of the St. Thomas Christian Church who played a pivotal role in the Coonan Cross Oath of 1653, a significant event in the history of the Church.

In the 19th century, the Kurian surname gained further recognition with the birth of Kurian Mathew (1852-1919), a prominent educator and social reformer who established several educational institutions in Kerala.

Throughout the 20th century, the Kurian name continued to be associated with influential figures in various fields. One such example is Kurian Varughese (1920-2011), a prominent Indian diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to several nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union.

Another notable Kurian was Dr. George Kurian (1935-2022), a renowned author and scholar who wrote extensively on topics related to religion, politics, and world affairs. His work, The Encyclopedia of Christianity, is considered a seminal reference work in the field of religious studies.

While the Kurian surname has its roots in Kerala, it has since spread to other parts of India and around the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins remain firmly rooted in the rich cultural and religious heritage of the St. Thomas Christian community of Kerala.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kurian

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kurian, 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!