NameCensus.

UK surname

Kunz

A German surname derived from the given name Konrad, meaning "brave counsel."

In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Kunz surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 126, ranked #26,686, down from #26,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Bradford and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kunz is 150 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 137.7%.

1881 census count

53

Ranked #26,134

Modern count

126

2016, ranked #26,686

Peak year

2010

150 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kunz had 53 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016, ranked #26,686.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 70 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Kunz surname distribution map

The map shows where the Kunz surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Kunz surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kunz over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 6 #32,278
1861 historical 7 #33,053
1881 historical 53 #26,134
1891 historical 29 #31,963
1901 historical 55 #28,064
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 92 #28,079
1998 modern 99 #27,785
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 118 #25,197
2001 modern 119 #24,733
2002 modern 132 #23,680
2003 modern 121 #24,776
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 138 #23,763
2009 modern 142 #23,791
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 136 #25,452
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 126 #26,686

Geography

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Where Kunz' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Bradford, Plymouth, Oban North and Badenoch and Strathspey North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 007 Leeds
2 Bradford 022 Bradford
3 Plymouth 003 Plymouth
4 Oban North Argyll and Bute
5 Badenoch and Strathspey North Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kunz

These lists show first names that appear often with the Kunz surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kunz

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kunz, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Kunz surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Kunz household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kunz is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kunz is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kunz falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kunz is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Kunz, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kunz

The surname Kunz originated in the Germanic regions of Europe, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a variant of the name Conrad, derived from the Old German words "kuon" (brave) and "rat" (counsel), implying a person of courageous wisdom. The name was initially spelled as Kuntz, Kunz, or Kunze, with regional variations across Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kunz appears in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Sancti Emmerammi, a medieval manuscript from the Benedictine monastery of St. Emmeram in Regensburg, Germany, dating back to the 11th century. The document mentions a certain "Chunradus dictus Chunz" (Conrad called Kunz) who made a land donation to the monastery.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Kunz von Kauffungen, a German knight and ministerialis (unfree knight in service to a secular or ecclesiastical lord) who participated in the Crusades and is mentioned in the chronicles of the Teutonic Knights.

Another historical figure was Kunz von der Rosen, a 14th-century German poet and Minnesinger (a tradition of German love poetry) from the region of Thuringia. His poems and songs were widely circulated and appreciated in his time.

In the 15th century, a prominent bearer of the name was Kunz von Kaufungen, a German nobleman and military leader who served as a commander during the Hussite Wars against the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia.

During the 16th century, the name Kunz was associated with the humanist scholar and playwright Konrad Kunz (1460-1534), who taught at the University of Vienna and authored several Latin plays and works on grammar.

Throughout history, the surname Kunz has been linked with various place names, such as Kunzendorf (a village in Saxony, Germany), Kunzelsau (a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany), and Kunzweiler (a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany), reflecting the geographical spread and establishment of families bearing this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kunz families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kunz surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 31 Kunz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.49x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 31 6.49x
Midlothian 8 12.49x
Surrey 4 1.72x
Kent 3 1.84x
Essex 1 1.06x
Lincolnshire 1 1.31x
Yorkshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 9 Kunz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.35x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 9 43.35x
Edinburgh St Stephens 7 555.56x
Paddington London 7 39.84x
St Giles In Fields London 6 256.41x
Camberwell 4 13.10x
Hackney London 4 14.93x
Greenwich 3 39.42x
Whitechapel London 3 63.69x
St Marylebone London 2 7.84x
Bradford 1 8.72x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 75.19x
Sausthorpe 1 5000.00x
West Ham 1 4.80x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Kunz surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Bertha 2
Eliza 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Christina 1
Dora 1
Dorathea 1
Harriet 1
Lillian 1
Margarite 1
Maria 1
Priscilla 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Kunz surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Henry 5
Carl 2
Charles 2
Ernest 2
Frederic 2
Edward 1
Emile 1
Francies 1
George 1
Jacob 1
James 1
John 1
Lao 1
Louis 1
Percy 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Kunz households.

FAQ

Kunz surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kunz surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Kunz surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kunz surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016. That gives Kunz a modern rank of #26,686.

What does the Kunz surname mean?

A German surname derived from the given name Konrad, meaning "brave counsel."

What does the Kunz map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kunz bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.