The Kwak surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,652 people carried this name — #7,184 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 63,300 people counted. That is up 26% from 3,678 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Kwak surname

From the Korean surname, from 곽 (gwak). Borrowed also from Polish Kwak.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Kwak» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Poland’s population register

1,129 people named Kwak have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 1,390 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 15 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lesser Poland.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Lesser Poland 683
Silesian 156
Lower Silesian 101
Masovian 36
West Pomeranian 32
Lubusz 26
Opole 17
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 17

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 35 people named Kwak live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in City of Buenos Aires.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

City of Buenos Aires 35

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 23 people named Kwak.

3 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Nord.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 3
Nord 9
Oise 9
Hérault 1
Paris 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

Who carried it

People named Kwak,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Geesje Kwak
    Geesje Kwak 1877–1899 · model
  • Gwak Sanghun
    Gwak Sanghun 1896–1980 · politician
  • Gwak Seung-woo d. 1431 · military official
  • Kwak Yŏ 1058–1130 · civil servant
  • Gwak Jaeu 1552–1617 · politician
  • Kwak Jongseok 1846–1919 · independence activist

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Kwak,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States84 records

84 records of the Kwak name in the United States
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 48
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 14
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 9
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 6
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 6
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Richard D. S. Kwak

    Born 1922 in Hawaiian Islands. Enlisted 1946; day worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1980, buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jan Kwak

    Arrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Bremen from Cherbourg, aged 17; laborer. From Galisia, Austria. Born in Galicia.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. The receipt card sent under the U.S. Alien Registration Act of 1940
    Example: U.S. alien registration card, 1940s
    Alien registration Mihalina Kwak

    Born 1895 in Russia. Registered as a foreign national in Garfield, New Jersey, under the Alien Registration Act of 1940.

    U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain)

Showing 3 of 84 records for Kwak in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Alien Registration Receipt Card, Form AR-3, photo by Bobjgalindo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).

Netherlands3,384 records

3,384 records of the Kwak name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1,890
  • Dutch population registers 1,419
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 75
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Aafje Kwak

    Married in 1878 in Zaandam; domestic servant. Died 1928 in Zaandam, aged 79.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Cornelis Kwak

    Married in 1893 in Nijmegen; typesetter, born 1868 in Zaandam (Zaanstad). Died 1952 in Nijmegen, aged 83.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Arie Kwak

    Married in 1851 in Brielle; labourer, born 1804 in Rockanje. Died 1881 in Brielle, aged 76.

    Open Archives, Streekarchief Voorne-Putten (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 3,384 records for Kwak in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France9 records

9 records of the Kwak name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Tony Kwak

    Born 1955 in Paris; died 1982 in Lormont (Gironde).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Aline Kwak

    Born 1936 in Aniche; died 1998 in Pont-à-Marcq (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Charles Kwak

    Born 1921 in Fenain; died 1972 in Fenain (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Kwak in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Germany2 records

2 records of the Kwak name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Felix Kwak

    From Strenze. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 1 July 1916 (Reserve Jäger Battalion No. 16).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Ignaz Kwak

    From Strenze, Kreis Kempen. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 23 October 1914 (Fusilier Regiment No. 38).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Australia1 record

1 record of the Kwak name in Australia Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Hendrik Antonie Kwak

    Pastry cook of Gisborne, New Zealand; died 1979.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Kwak.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Kwak is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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