2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kachelmeyer
A German surname derived from either a place name or an occupational term related to stove-making or tile-baking.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Kachelmeyer. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kachelmeyer 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Kachelmeyer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kachelmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kachelmeyer
The surname KACHELMEYER has its origins in Germany, dating back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Kachel," meaning "tile," and "Meier," which is a variant of the word "Meister," meaning "master" or "expert."
The earliest known record of the name KACHELMEYER can be found in a document from the city of Augsburg in 1521, where a certain Hans KACHELMEYER is mentioned as a tile maker or tile master. This suggests that the name was likely associated with the occupation of tile making or tile masonry in its early days.
In the 17th century, there are records of the KACHELMEYER family in the town of Maulbronn, located in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Notable members of the family during this period include Johann KACHELMEYER (1612-1682), who was a well-respected tilemaker and craftsman in the region.
Another prominent figure with the surname KACHELMEYER was Friedrich KACHELMEYER (1788-1854), a German architect and urban planner who was instrumental in the development of several cities in the German states of Württemberg and Baden during the early 19th century.
The KACHELMEYER name also appears in historical records from other parts of Germany, such as the city of Cologne, where a family by the name of KACHELMEYER is mentioned in documents from the late 18th century. One notable member of this family was Wilhelm KACHELMEYER (1765-1832), a successful merchant and businessman in Cologne.
In the 19th century, the name KACHELMEYER can be found in various regions of Germany, including the state of Saxony, where a family of KACHELMEYERS owned and operated a successful tile and pottery business in the town of Meissen.
While the KACHELMEYER surname is not as common today as it once was, it still holds a significant place in German history and culture, particularly in the regions where it originated and thrived for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kachelmeyer
Among Census respondents with the surname Kachelmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kachelmeyer 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 Kachelmeyer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 98
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kachelmeyer
Kachelmeyer 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,256 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 774 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 14,256 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 774 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 Kachelmeyer 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 | #156,044 | #155,270 | 0.5% |
| Count | 104 | 101 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kachelmeyer bearers went from 104 to 101 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 774 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #155,270.
FAQ
Kachelmeyer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kachelmeyer?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Kachelmeyer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Kachelmeyer?
Kachelmeyer ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Kachelmeyer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kachelmeyer.
Has Kachelmeyer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kachelmeyer went from 104 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Kachelmeyer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kachelmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Kachelmeyer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kachelmeyer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Kachelmeyer (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 Kachelmeyer mean?
A German surname derived from either a place name or an occupational term related to stove-making or tile-baking. 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 Kachelmeyer (0.03 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 people have the surname Kachelmeyer?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.