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

Kahr, 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 Kahr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kahr in America

Kahr is the 76768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kahr surname appeared 250 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 Kahr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kahr 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 Kahr

The surname "KAHR" originated in Germany and can be traced back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Kar" or "Karren," which means "cart" or "wagon." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname given to those who worked as cart drivers or wagon makers.

The earliest recorded instance of the name "KAHR" appears in a document from the town of Nuremberg, dated 1521. In this record, a man named Hans Kahr is mentioned as a resident of the city. Another early reference is found in the baptismal records of the city of Augsburg, where a child named Johann Kahr was baptized in 1547.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name "KAHR" began to spread across various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Hesse. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include Johann Friedrich Kahr (1690-1756), a renowned German theologian and author, and Karl Kahr (1792-1854), a Bavarian politician and member of the Landtag (regional parliament).

In the 19th century, the name "KAHR" also found its way into other European countries, such as Austria and Switzerland. One prominent figure from this period was Gustav Kahr (1862-1934), a German lawyer and politician who served as the Minister-President of Bavaria during the turbulent years following World War I.

As people began to migrate from Europe to other parts of the world, the surname "KAHR" also spread to different continents. In the United States, for instance, there are records of individuals with this surname arriving as early as the mid-19th century. One notable American with the surname was Hans Kahr (1864-1942), a German-born architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Steinway Hall and the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Paul.

Another individual of note was Wilhelm Kahr (1887-1960), a German-born American businessman and industrialist who founded the Kahr Arms Company, a prominent manufacturer of firearms based in Massachusetts.

Throughout its history, the surname "KAHR" has maintained a strong presence in various parts of the world, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bore this name. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since become a part of the cultural tapestry of many nations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kahr

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

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

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

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