2000
#62,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 298
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Kunis
A surname of Ukranian/Slavic origin meaning "kuna", a type of marten or weasel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 326 Americans carry the last name Kunis. That puts it at #73,555 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,051,394 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kunis 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
326
1 in 1,051,394
Census rank
#73,555
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
284
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 284 bearers of the surname Kunis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73555th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kunis
The surname KUNIS originates from Lithuania and is believed to have derived from the Lithuanian word "kuinas" or "kuinys", meaning a small horse or pony. This name likely originated in the 16th or 17th century when many Lithuanians adopted surnames based on occupations, physical traits, or characteristics.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KUNIS can be found in the 1784 census records of the town of Vilkija, located in the Kaunas region of Lithuania. The name is also mentioned in several 19th-century Lithuanian church records and land registries.
In the late 19th century, the surname KUNIS began to spread beyond Lithuania as many individuals emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable early bearer of the name was Jonas Kunis (1855-1932), a Lithuanian author and educator who played a significant role in promoting Lithuanian language and culture during the Lithuanian National Revival.
Another historical figure with the surname KUNIS was Antanas Kunis (1892-1968), a Lithuanian-American businessman and philanthropist who established several successful businesses in the United States and donated generously to various Lithuanian causes and organizations.
Juozas Kunis (1908-1985) was a Lithuanian-American artist and sculptor, known for his works depicting Lithuanian folklore and mythology. His sculptures can be found in various public spaces and museums across Lithuania and the United States.
In the 20th century, the surname KUNIS gained wider recognition through the actress Mila Kunis, born in 1983 in Ukraine to a Jewish family with Lithuanian roots. Kunis has starred in numerous successful films and television shows, including "That '70s Show" and "Black Swan."
Andrius Kunis (1961-2019) was a prominent Lithuanian basketball player and coach, who played for the Soviet Union national team and later coached several professional teams in Lithuania and other European countries.
While the surname KUNIS is not among the most common in Lithuania today, it remains a part of the country's cultural heritage, reflecting its historical connections to the agricultural and equestrian traditions of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kunis
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kunis 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 Kunis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 259
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 8
- Two or more races2.5% · 7
- Black or African American1.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kunis
Kunis appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#65,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 304
+6 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 2,469 places
2020
#73,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 284
-20 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 8,311 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,775 | 298 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #65,244 | 304 | 0.10 | +6 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 2,469 places |
| 2020 | #73,555 | 284 | 0.10 | -20 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 8,311 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 Kunis 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 | #65,244 | #73,555 | -12.7% |
| Count | 304 | 284 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kunis bearers went from 304 to 284 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 8,311 positions in the national ranking, going from #65,244 to #73,555.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kunis
FAQ
Kunis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kunis?
Name Census estimates that about 326 living Americans carry the surname Kunis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,051,394 residents.
How common is Kunis?
Kunis ranks #73,555 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 284 people with the surname Kunis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (326), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Kunis.
Has Kunis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kunis went from 304 recorded bearers to 284. That is a decrease of 20 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #65,244 to #73,555.
What does the Census say about the background of Kunis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (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 Kunis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (259 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kunis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (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 Kunis (2000, 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 Kunis mean?
A surname of Ukranian/Slavic origin meaning "kuna", a type of marten or weasel. 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 Kunis (0.10 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 Americans have the surname Kunis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.