2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kusar
Of Slavic origin, a toponymic surname likely derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Kusar. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kusar 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Kusar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kusar, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kusar
The surname KUSAR is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Poland and Ukraine during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old Slavic word "kuzar," which referred to a blacksmith or metalworker. This occupational surname would have been given to someone whose primary trade involved working with metal, likely forging tools, weapons, or other implements.
The earliest known records of the KUSAR surname date back to the 15th century, with mentions of individuals bearing this name in various historical documents and records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. One notable example is Bartosz Kusar, a blacksmith who lived in the city of Krakow in the late 1400s and was commissioned to create a set of ornate iron gates for the city's cathedral.
As the centuries passed, the KUSAR name began to spread beyond its initial geographical region. In the 16th century, there are records of a family with the surname Kusar living in the town of Lviv, which was then part of the Kingdom of Poland. This branch of the Kusar family later became influential merchants and traders, with several members holding prominent positions within the city's guild system.
In the 18th century, a man named Jan Kusar (1712-1784) gained fame as a renowned clockmaker and inventor in the city of Warsaw. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the Polish nobility, and he is credited with developing several innovative mechanisms that improved the accuracy and durability of clockworks.
Another notable figure with the KUSAR surname was Andrzej Kusar (1798-1872), a Polish artist renowned for his landscape paintings. Born in the town of Lublin, Kusar's works captured the natural beauty of the Polish countryside and were widely exhibited throughout Europe during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the KUSAR name also appeared in parts of what is now western Ukraine, with records indicating a family of farmers and landowners bearing this surname in the region around Lviv. One member of this family, Oleksiy Kusar (1832-1901), gained recognition for his efforts in promoting education and establishing several schools in the area.
Overall, the surname KUSAR has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in the metalworking trades of medieval Eastern Europe. While initially concentrated in Poland and Ukraine, the name has since spread to various other regions, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kusar
Among Census respondents with the surname Kusar, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kusar 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 Kusar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.7% · 9
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kusar
Kusar 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+22 bearers (+21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,148 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-9 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +22 bearers (+21.2%) | Up 12,148 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 10,407 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 Kusar 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 | #133,863 | #144,270 | -7.8% |
| Count | 126 | 117 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kusar bearers went from 126 to 117 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 10,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #144,270.
FAQ
Kusar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kusar?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Kusar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Kusar?
Kusar ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Kusar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kusar.
Has Kusar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kusar went from 126 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Kusar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kusar, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Kusar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kusar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%), Black (1.7%). 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 Kusar (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 Kusar mean?
Of Slavic origin, a toponymic surname likely derived from a place name. 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 Kusar (0.04 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 people share the surname Kusar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.