2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kuver
A variant spelling of the German surname Kufer, meaning a maker of casks or barrels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Kuver. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kuver 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Kuver in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuver, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (26.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuver
The surname KUVER has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "kuver," which referred to a large barrel or keg used for storing liquids such as beer or wine.
In the town of Nuremberg, historical records show a family named Kuver who were involved in the brewing and tavern trade during the late 1500s. This connection to the brewing industry may have contributed to the adoption of the surname.
One of the earliest known references to the name KUVER can be found in the municipal archives of the city of Cologne, where a Johannes Kuver is listed as a master brewer in 1612.
The name KUVER also appears in various church records throughout Germany in the 17th and 18th centuries. Notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. Matthias Kuver (1630-1701), a prominent merchant and landowner from the town of Bamberg.
2. Anna Maria Kuver (1675-1738), a renowned herbalist and midwife who practiced in the region of Hesse.
3. Johann Kuver (1712-1783), a skilled woodcarver whose works adorned several churches in Bavaria.
4. Heinrich Kuver (1790-1872), a respected educator and author of several educational texts used in schools across Prussia.
5. Wilhelmina Kuver (1821-1897), a celebrated operatic soprano who performed in major theaters throughout Europe.
The surname KUVER is also linked to various place names in Germany, such as Kuversberg, a small village in the Black Forest region, and Kuvertal, a valley near the city of Mainz.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuver
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuver, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (26.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuver 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 Kuver surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.4% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander26.5% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuver
Kuver appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-17 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -17 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 12,128 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 Kuver 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 | #144,141 | #156,269 | -8.4% |
| Count | 115 | 98 | -14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuver bearers went from 115 to 98 (-14.8% change). The surname moved down 12,128 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #156,269.
FAQ
Kuver surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuver?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Kuver. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Kuver?
Kuver ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Kuver. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kuver.
Has Kuver become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuver went from 115 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 17 (-14.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuver?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuver, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (26.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Kuver in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.4% (69 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuver appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (26.5%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Kuver (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 Kuver mean?
A variant spelling of the German surname Kufer, meaning a maker of casks or barrels. 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 Kuver (0.03 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 are called Kuver?
You can see how many people are called Kuver on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.