Explore the Family Name Kanu
The meaning of Kanu
1. West African (Nigeria): Igbo name, from a shortened form of Kamanu, the name of the traditional Igbo god of thunder and lightning, which is also called Kamalu (see Kalu). 2. West African (mainly Sierra Leone): from the name of the Kanu clan of the Sierra Leonean Loko people and, subsequently, of the Temne people, of unexplained etymology.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kanu in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kanu has gained significant popularity in the United States from 2000 to 2010. The rank of this name moved up from 36,531st place to 23,675th place, showing a rise of 35.19%. In terms of count, the number of people bearing this surname also increased by 85.12%, from 578 individuals in 2000 to 1,070 in 2010. The proportion of the population with this surname per 100,000 people also rose from 0.21 to 0.36, marking a growth of 71.43%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #36,531 | #23,675 | 35.19% |
| Count | 578 | 1,070 | 85.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.21 | 0.36 | 71.43% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kanu
Shifting focus to the ethnic identity associated with the name Kanu, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting changes from 2000 to 2010. An overwhelming majority identified as Black, with an increase from 87.37% to 93.83% over the decade. Representation within the Asian/Pacific Islander category dropped dramatically to zero, while the percentage of those identifying as two or more races fell by nearly 60%. The representation of Whites with the Kanu surname saw a slight decrease from 2.42% to 2.15%. Interestingly, the Hispanic representation debuted at 1.03% in 2010, whereas there were no Hispanics recorded with this surname in 2000. There were no instances of American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals with this surname in both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 87.37% | 93.83% | 7.39% |
| Two or More Races | 5.36% | 2.15% | -59.89% |
| White | 2.42% | 2.15% | -11.16% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.03% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.46% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |