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

Kwakye, 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 Kwakye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kwakye in America

Kwakye is the 73911th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kwakye surname appeared 262 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 Kwakye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kwakye 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 Kwakye

The surname Kwakye originates from the Akan people of Ghana, West Africa. It is a name that has been in use since at least the 16th century, with records showing variations such as Kwaku and Kwakye appearing in historical documents from that time period.

The name is derived from the Akan word "kwaku," which means "male born on Wednesday." This suggests that the name Kwakye may have originally been given to children born on that day of the week. It is also believed to have ties to the Akan word "kwaku," meaning "mighty warrior" or "brave one."

One of the earliest known records of the name Kwakye dates back to the late 17th century, when it appeared in a colonial-era document detailing the Akan people's interactions with European traders along the Gold Coast (now modern-day Ghana). This document, written by a Dutch colonist, mentions a local leader named Kwakye Antwi, who played a pivotal role in the region's trade and politics at the time.

In the 19th century, the name Kwakye gained further prominence with the birth of Kwakye Ackah (1828-1892), a prominent Ghanaian farmer and landowner who was influential in his community. His son, Kwakye Frimpong (1855-1914), followed in his footsteps and became a respected figure in the region's agricultural industry.

Another notable bearer of the Kwakye name was Kwakye Owusu (1890-1962), a renowned Ghanaian educator and advocate for women's rights. She established several schools in the country and worked tirelessly to promote education and empowerment for young girls.

In more recent history, Kwakye Asiedu (1918-1997) was a prominent Ghanaian politician who served as a member of parliament and held several ministerial positions in the government during the mid-20th century.

Kwakye Opoku (1931-2008) was a celebrated Ghanaian artist and sculptor, known for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures that depicted traditional Akan culture and mythology. His works are displayed in museums and galleries around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kwakye

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

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

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

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