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

Kwa, 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 Kwa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kwa in America

Kwa is the 84136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kwa surname appeared 223 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kwa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kwa 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 Kwa

The surname "Kwa" has its origins in West Africa, particularly in Ghana, where it is believed to have originated among the Akan people. The name is thought to be derived from the Akan word "kwa," which means "good" or "pleasant."

The Akan people have a rich cultural heritage that dates back centuries, and their naming traditions are deeply rooted in their beliefs and values. The name "Kwa" may have been given to individuals who were perceived as having a pleasant or good character, or it could have been a descriptive name for someone born in a particularly pleasant location.

While records from the pre-colonial era are scarce, the earliest known references to the surname "Kwa" can be found in written accounts from European traders and explorers who visited the West African coast in the 15th and 16th centuries. These accounts often included lists of local names and their meanings, providing valuable insights into the naming customs of the time.

One of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname "Kwa" was Kwasi Kwa, a prominent chief and trader who lived in the late 17th century in the region of Anomabu, which was part of the Fante confederacy along the coast of what is now Ghana. Kwasi Kwa was renowned for his diplomatic skills and his ability to negotiate favorable trade agreements with the European merchants who frequented the area.

In the 19th century, the name "Kwa" gained further prominence when Kwaku Kwa, a respected scholar and linguist, published one of the earliest dictionaries of the Akan language. His work was instrumental in preserving and documenting the rich linguistic heritage of the Akan people.

Another notable individual with the surname "Kwa" was Kwame Kwa, a celebrated artist and sculptor who lived in the early 20th century. Kwame Kwa's intricate wood carvings and masks were highly sought after by collectors and museums around the world, and his works are now considered invaluable representations of traditional Akan art and culture.

In more recent times, the surname "Kwa" has been carried by individuals such as Kwasi Kwa, a pioneering Ghanaian lawyer and human rights activist who played a pivotal role in the country's independence movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

While the surname "Kwa" is most commonly found in Ghana and among the Akan diaspora, it has also spread to other parts of West Africa and beyond, reflecting the region's rich cultural diversity and the influence of migration and intermarriage over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kwa

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

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

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

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