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

Kwak, 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 Kwak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kwak in America

Kwak is the 7184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kwak surname appeared 4,652 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Kwak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kwak 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 Kwak

The surname KWAK is of Dutch origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the provinces of Holland and Utrecht, where it was initially spelled as "Quack" or "Quacke." The name is derived from the Dutch word "kwak," which refers to a type of small waterfowl or a quacking sound made by ducks.

In the earliest records, the surname KWAK was often associated with occupations related to hunting or dealing with waterfowl. It is possible that some of the first bearers of this name were involved in activities such as fowling, selling poultry, or even duck breeding.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KWAK surname can be found in the Rotterdam archives, where a certain Adriaen Quintijnsz Quack was mentioned in 1589. Another notable early reference is the baptismal record of Leendert Jansz Quack, born in Amsterdam in 1612.

As the name spread across the Netherlands and beyond, various spellings emerged, including Kwakkelstein, Kwakkenbos, and Kwakman. Some of these variations incorporated elements of place names or occupational descriptions.

Among the notable historical figures with the KWAK surname, one can mention:

1. Jan Kwak (1592-1672), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his genre scenes and portraits.
2. Pieter Kwak (1666-1728), a Dutch writer and poet who published several works in the 18th century.
3. Gerrit Kwak (1819-1904), a Dutch politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Dutch Parliament.
4. Willem Kwak (1854-1932), a Dutch-American businessman and brewer who founded the Kwak Brewery in Ghent, Belgium.
5. Jacobus Kwak (1901-1985), a Dutch-American abstract expressionist painter and sculptor who was part of the New York avant-garde art scene.

Throughout its history, the KWAK surname has maintained its connection to Dutch culture and heritage, while also spreading to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kwak

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

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

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

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