Explore the Family Name Kurian
The meaning of Kurian
Indian (Kerala): from the personal name Kurian, found among Christians in southern India. It is derived from Greek Kyriakos ‘of the Lord’ (with reference to Jesus Christ; see Cyriac), with the Tamil-Malayalam third person singular suffix -n. — Note: Since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Mohan, Varughese, Babu, Manju, Mathai, Raju, Shibu, Sobha, Anil, Biju, Binoy, Lal.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kurian in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Kurian has seen a notable increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 17,884, but rose to 13,953 in 2010 — a change of approximately 22%. The total count of individuals with this surname likewise increased from 1,443 in 2000 to 2,163 in 2010, marking a nearly 50% rise. On average, for every 100,000 people, there were 0.53 named Kurian in 2000, but this figure climbed to 0.73 by 2010, indicating a growth of around 38%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,884 | #13,953 | 21.98% |
| Count | 1,443 | 2,163 | 49.9% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.53 | 0.73 | 37.74% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kurian
In terms of ethnic identity, most bearers of the surname Kurian identified as Asian/Pacific Islander in both census years, with an increase from 80.18% in 2000 to 86.36% in 2010. The number of those identifying with two or more races saw a decrease, dropping from 4.16% to 1.53%, while the proportion of White decreased from 14.21% to 10.31%. Interestingly, there was a considerable increase in the percentage of Hispanics and Blacks with this surname, rising from 0.55% to 0.97% and 0.35% to 0.55% respectively. However, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category witnessed a decline from 0.55% to 0.28%. This data is also based on the Decennial U.S. Census.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 80.18% | 86.36% | 7.71% |
| White | 14.21% | 10.31% | -27.45% |
| Two or More Races | 4.16% | 1.53% | -63.22% |
| Hispanic | 0.55% | 0.97% | 76.36% |
| Black | 0.35% | 0.55% | 57.14% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.55% | 0.28% | -49.09% |