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

Kaelin, 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 Kaelin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kaelin in America

Kaelin is the 12043rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kaelin surname appeared 2,590 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 Kaelin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kaelin 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 Kaelin

The surname Kaelin has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Kale," which means "bald" or "hairless." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for a person who had little or no hair.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Kaelin can be found in various German-speaking regions, including Bavaria, Saxony, and parts of modern-day Switzerland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Kaelin, a merchant from the town of Nuremberg, who was mentioned in a local registry in 1487.

In the 16th century, the name Kaelin appeared in several historical records, including the Württemberg tax rolls of 1523, where a certain Peter Kaelin was listed as a landowner. Another notable mention is found in the Zurich court records of 1589, which referenced a legal dispute involving a Jakob Kaelin.

As the name spread throughout German-speaking regions, it evolved into various spellings, such as Kählin, Kählen, and Kaehlen. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional pronunciation differences.

One of the earliest known Kaelins to achieve historical prominence was Johann Kaelin, a Swiss Protestant reformer born in 1497 in the city of Bern. He played a significant role in the Swiss Reformation and was a close associate of Huldrych Zwingli, a leading figure of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland.

Another notable figure was Johann Jakob Kaelin, a Swiss-born painter and engraver who lived from 1637 to 1706. He is known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can be found in churches and museums throughout Switzerland and Germany.

In the 19th century, the name Kaelin gained recognition with the birth of Gottfried Kaelin (1818-1883), a Swiss theologian and author. He was a prominent figure in the Swiss Reformed Church and wrote several influential works on theology and church history.

As the Kaelin family spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, the name continued to be associated with individuals of note. One such person was Wilhelm Kaelin (1865-1923), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other German cities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

It is important to note that while this surname has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has since been adopted and carried on by families in various parts of the world, reflecting the global reach and diversity of the Kaelin name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kaelin

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

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 Kaelin 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 Kaelin 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 Kaelin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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