Explore the Family Name Kham

The meaning of Kham

1. Burmese (Shan and Chin): from a name element originally forming part of a compound personal name, meaning ‘gold’. — Note: Since Shans and Chins do not have hereditary surnames, this name element was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. 2. Cambodian: written ខាំ, unexplained.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Kham in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Kham has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Kham was ranked 36,807 in terms of popularity among all surnames, with a count of 572 individuals carrying the name. By 2010, although the number of people bearing the surname increased to 581, its rank slipped to 38,155. This resulted in an overall popularity change of -3.66% over the decade.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#36,807	#38,155	-3.66%
Count	572	581	1.57%
Proportion per 100k	0.21	0.2	-4.76%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kham

When considering the ethnic identity associated with the surname Kham, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that it is prominently Asian or Pacific Islander. In 2000, this group accounted for 81.12% of those with the surname, and by 2010, this percentage had risen to 86.40%, indicating a growth of 6.51%. The proportion of individuals identifying as two or more races saw a substantial decrease of 60.56%, falling from 11.36% in 2000 to just 4.48% in 2010. There were minor increases in the percentages of those who identify as white and Hispanic, while the proportions of those identifying as Black and as American Indian and Alaskan Native both dropped to zero in 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
Asian/Pacific Islander	81.12%	86.4%	6.51%
White	3.85%	5.51%	43.12%
Two or More Races	11.36%	4.48%	-60.56%
Hispanic	0%	1.72%	0%
Black	1.92%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%