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

Kwok, 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 Kwok surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kwok in America

Kwok is the 6257th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kwok surname appeared 5,458 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 Kwok.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kwok 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 Kwok

The surname Kwok originates from China, where it has been recorded since ancient times. It is a romanized spelling of the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese characters 郭, which can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). These characters are believed to have derived from an old Chinese word meaning "outskirts" or "suburban area".

In early Chinese historical records and manuscripts, different variations of the Kwok surname can be found, such as Gok, Kok, and Kook. These variations arose due to the different dialects and regional pronunciations across China. The Kwok surname is particularly prevalent in the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of southern China.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kwok surname dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), when a scholar named Kwok Yuen-fung (607-672) served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court. Another notable figure was Kwok Ching-tung (1032-1085), a renowned poet and calligrapher during the Song Dynasty.

In the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Kwok Wai-yin (1241-1320) was a prominent military leader who played a significant role in the conquest of the Mongol Empire. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Kwok Ching-leung (1539-1612) was a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to Neo-Confucianism.

As Chinese immigrants began to settle in other parts of the world, the Kwok surname spread to various countries. One notable bearer of this name was Kwok Ah-tsoi (1876-1962), a prominent Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist who established the Kwok Charitable Trust.

Another influential figure was Kwok Man-wai (1923-2013), a Hong Kong film director and producer who is considered a pioneer of the Hong Kong film industry. He directed over 100 films and is credited with launching the careers of many legendary actors and actresses.

In more recent times, Kwok Hing-sum (1925-2019) was a respected Hong Kong educator and author who made significant contributions to the promotion of Chinese literature and culture. He received numerous awards and honors for his work.

While these are just a few examples, the Kwok surname has a rich and diverse history spanning centuries, reflecting the cultural and historical significance of this ancient Chinese name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kwok

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!