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

Kurz, 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 Kurz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kurz in America

Kurz is the 8504th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kurz surname appeared 3,874 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 Kurz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kurz 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 Kurz

The surname Kurz has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "kurz," meaning "short" or "brief." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname or an occupational name given to someone with a short stature or someone who performed a task that was brief or temporary in nature.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Kurz surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th century. In this collection, there is a mention of a "Henricus Curz" in the year 1263.

Another early reference to the Kurz name appears in the Staatsarchiv Nürnberg, a historical archive in the city of Nuremberg, which contains records from the 14th century mentioning individuals with the surname Kurz.

In the 15th century, the Kurz surname gained prominence in the region of Franconia, located in present-day Bavaria. During this period, the city of Nuremberg was a major center of trade and commerce, and several notable Kurz families were involved in various industries and professions.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Kurz surname was Konrad Kurz, a merchant and alderman in Nuremberg, who lived from around 1400 to 1470. Another prominent figure was Hans Kurz, a renowned goldsmith and artist who was active in Nuremberg in the late 15th century.

The Kurz surname also has a long history in Austria, where it is believed to have been introduced by German settlers in the Middle Ages. One of the most notable Austrians with this surname was Eduard Kurz (1838-1911), a renowned historian and archivist who made significant contributions to the study of Austrian history.

In the 16th century, the Kurz surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Switzerland and the Netherlands. In Switzerland, the name was sometimes spelled as "Kurtz," and in the Netherlands, it took the form of "Kortz" or "Kort."

Throughout history, several other notable individuals have borne the Kurz surname, including Isolde Kurz (1853-1944), an Austrian writer and poet; Hermann Kurz (1813-1873), a German writer and poet; and Gerhard Kurz (1890-1957), a German architect and urban planner.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kurz

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

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

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

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