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

Kuss, 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 Kuss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kuss in America

Kuss is the 16798th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kuss surname appeared 1,700 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 Kuss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kuss 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 Kuss

The surname "Kuss" is of German origin, originating in the late Middle Ages around the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "kus," meaning "kiss." This word likely referred to a person with a tendency to kiss or embrace others, or perhaps someone with a friendly or affectionate demeanor.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Kuss" can be traced back to various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. In medieval records, the name appeared with various spellings such as "Kuß," "Kusz," and "Küss," reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Kuss, a merchant from Nuremberg, who was mentioned in city records from the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Hans Kuss, a farmer from the village of Dornstetten in the Black Forest region, who was documented in land records from the mid-15th century.

In the 16th century, the surname "Kuss" gained prominence through the works of the German humanist and theologian, Johannes Kuss (1508-1564). Born in Westphalia, he was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and authored several religious treatises and commentaries.

Another notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Kuss (1612-1677), a German composer and organist from Saxony. He served as the Kapellmeister (chapel master) at the court of Dresden and composed numerous sacred and secular works during the Baroque period.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname "Kuss" continued to be found across various regions of Germany. Notable individuals include Johann Jakob Kuss (1761-1829), a German painter and engraver from Swabia, and Wilhelm Kuss (1832-1901), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag (imperial parliament) in the late 19th century.

The name "Kuss" has also been associated with several place names in Germany, such as Kussbach (a small river in Bavaria) and Kussow (a village in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), which may have influenced the surname's origins or distribution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kuss

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

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

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

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