2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Kuz
A Polish surname derived from the word "kuźnia" meaning a forge or smithy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Kuz. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kuz 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Kuz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuz, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuz
The surname "Kuz" is of Polish origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the early 16th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "kuźnia," which means "smithy" or "forge." This suggests that the early bearers of this surname were likely involved in metalworking professions such as blacksmithing or ironworking.
The earliest recorded instances of the name "Kuz" can be traced back to historical records and documents from the Polish regions of Silesia and Lesser Poland. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Jan Kuz, a blacksmith who lived in the town of Kraków in the late 16th century.
The name "Kuz" is also closely linked to the Polish village of Kuźnica, located in the Opole Voivodeship. It is believed that the name may have originated in this region, with families adopting the surname "Kuz" as a reference to their connection to the village or to the metalworking profession that was prevalent in the area.
In the 17th century, the name "Kuz" appeared in various historical records, such as parish registers and court documents. One notable individual from this period was Michał Kuz, a prominent landowner and nobleman who lived in the Kraków region between 1620 and 1687.
As the surname spread throughout Poland, variations in spelling emerged, including "Kuź," "Kuż," and "Kusz." These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciation differences.
In the 19th century, the name "Kuz" gained further recognition with the birth of Kazimierz Kuz (1825-1891), a Polish painter and engraver who was known for his landscapes and portraits. His works are featured in several notable Polish art museums and galleries.
Another prominent figure with the surname "Kuz" was Józef Kuz (1870-1945), a Polish writer and journalist who actively participated in the Polish independence movement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In more recent times, the name "Kuz" has been carried by individuals such as Bogdan Kuz (1932-2017), a Polish actor and theater director who made significant contributions to the Polish theater scene in the latter half of the 20th century.
While the surname "Kuz" is primarily associated with Poland, it has also been found in other parts of Eastern Europe, likely due to migration and cultural exchange between neighboring regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuz
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuz, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuz 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 Kuz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 106
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuz
Kuz 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
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+16 bearers (+15.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,446 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.5%) | Up 14,446 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 Kuz 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 | #157,234 | #142,788 | 9.2% |
| Count | 103 | 119 | 15.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 32.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuz bearers went from 103 to 119 (+15.5% change). The surname moved up 14,446 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #142,788.
FAQ
Kuz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuz?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Kuz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Kuz?
Kuz ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Kuz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Kuz.
Has Kuz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuz went from 103 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 16 (+15.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuz, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Kuz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Kuz (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 Kuz mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "kuźnia" meaning a forge or smithy. 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 Kuz (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 have the surname Kuz?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.