Find out how popular the last name Christner is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Christner.

Christner, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Christner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Christner in America

Christner is the 9455th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Christner surname appeared 3,441 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Christner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Christner to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Christner

The surname Christner is of German origin, deriving from the personal name 'Christen' or 'Christon', which was a pet form of the Greek name 'Christos', meaning 'anointed one'. This was a popular name among Christians, given in reference to Jesus Christ. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 16th century in German-speaking regions of Central Europe.

The name first appeared in various historical records from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, such as church registers and tax rolls. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Christner, a farmer from the village of Oberrieden in Bavaria, mentioned in a land deed from 1572. Another early record is of a Johann Christner, a merchant from Nuremberg, who is listed in a guild register from 1611.

In the 18th century, the Christner name can be found in several German-language manuscripts and documents. For instance, a 1742 record from the town of Memmingen mentions a Jakob Christner, a respected clockmaker and goldsmith. Meanwhile, a 1756 chronicle from the city of Augsburg refers to a Katharina Christner, a wealthy widow and philanthropist who donated funds for the construction of a local orphanage.

As the centuries progressed, the name spread beyond its German roots. One notable bearer was Karl Christner (1825-1893), an Austrian military officer who served in the Austro-Prussian War and later became a respected military historian and author. Another was Johann Christner (1847-1923), a Bohemian-born artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.

In the 20th century, the name gained recognition through individuals such as Hans Christner (1906-1992), a German engineer who pioneered the development of early computer systems, and Erich Christner (1914-1999), an Austrian composer and conductor renowned for his operas and orchestral works.

Throughout its history, the surname Christner has maintained a strong association with its German linguistic roots and Christian heritage, often reflecting the diverse professions and accomplishments of its bearers across various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Christner

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Christner.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Christner was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Christner has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Christner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Christner, please contact us.

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