2000
#9,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,026
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Christner
A German occupational surname derived from the word "Küster," meaning a sexton or church officer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,850 Americans carry the last name Christner. That puts it at #9,302 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,027 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Christner surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 89,027
Census rank
#9,302
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,357 bearers of the surname Christner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9302nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Christner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Christner
Among Census respondents with the surname Christner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Christner bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Christner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 3,166
- Two or more races2.4% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Christner
Christner appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,441
+415 bearers (+13.7%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 398 places
2020
#9,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,357
-84 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 153 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,853 | 3,026 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,455 | 3,441 | 1.17 | +415 bearers (+13.7%) | Up 398 places |
| 2020 | #9,302 | 3,357 | 1.12 | -84 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 153 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Christner surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,455 | #9,302 | 1.6% |
| Count | 3,441 | 3,357 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.12 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Christner bearers went from 3,441 to 3,357 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 153 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,455 to #9,302.
FAQ
Christner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Christner?
Name Census estimates that about 3,850 living Americans carry the surname Christner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,027 residents.
How common is Christner?
Christner ranks #9,302 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,357 people with the surname Christner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,850), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Christner.
Has Christner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Christner went from 3,441 recorded bearers to 3,357. That is a decrease of 84 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,455 to #9,302.
What does the Census say about the background of Christner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Christner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Christner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (3,166 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Christner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Two or More Races (2.4%), Hispanic (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Christner (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Christner mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the word "Küster," meaning a sexton or church officer. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Christner (1.12 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Christner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.