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

Kafer, 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 Kafer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kafer in America

Kafer is the 33164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kafer surname appeared 690 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kafer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kafer 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 Kafer

The surname Kafer has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "kaver," which means "beetle" or "chafer." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or occupational name for someone who worked with beetles or insects.

In the medieval period, surnames were often derived from nicknames, occupations, or physical characteristics, and the name Kafer likely followed this pattern. It is possible that the name was initially given to someone who had a particular association with beetles, either through their work or appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kafer can be found in the Bavarian town of Nürnberg (Nuremberg) in the year 1307, where a man named Ulrich Kafer is mentioned in a legal document. This suggests that the name was already established and in use by the early 14th century in southern Germany.

During the Renaissance period, the name Kafer appears to have spread beyond its initial Bavarian roots. In the 16th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Kafer in various parts of Germany, including the cities of Cologne and Frankfurt.

One notable individual bearing the name Kafer was Johann Kafer, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1606 to 1669. He was a skilled printmaker and is known for his detailed engravings of historical events and landscapes.

In the 17th century, the Kafer surname can be found in various regions of Germany, including Saxony and Silesia. One example is Johann Christoph Kafer, a German composer and organist who lived from 1660 to 1727 and was known for his contributions to sacred music.

As the centuries progressed, the Kafer name continued to be present in various parts of German-speaking Europe. In the 18th century, there are records of individuals named Kafer in Austria and Switzerland, suggesting that the name had spread beyond the borders of Germany.

One prominent figure with the surname Kafer was Friedrich Wilhelm Kafer, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1724 to 1779. He was known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy, and his works were influential in the intellectual circles of his time.

In the 19th century, the Kafer surname can be found in various parts of Germany, as well as in other Germanic regions such as the Netherlands and Belgium. One notable individual from this period was Gustav Kafer, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1810 to 1879 and was known for his landscapes and genre scenes.

While the surname Kafer has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the German-speaking regions of central Europe, where it likely began as a nickname or occupational name related to beetles or insects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kafer

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!