2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Kahrl
A German surname derived from the word "Karle", meaning a freeman or free peasant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Kahrl. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kahrl 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Kahrl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kahrl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kahrl
The surname Kahrl is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Karl," which means "free man" or "husband." The name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for someone who exhibited the qualities of independence or leadership.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kahrl surname can be found in the town records of Cologne, Germany, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention a merchant named Hans Kahrl who was involved in the local wool trade. It is possible that the name was already established in this region by this time.
During the late 16th century, the Kahrl surname appeared in various church registries and tax records across southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. This suggests that the name had spread to different areas of the country by this point.
In the 17th century, a notable individual named Johann Kahrl (1620-1678) was a renowned clockmaker and inventor from the city of Nuremberg. He is credited with developing several innovative mechanical timepieces and is considered one of the pioneers of early modern clockmaking.
Another historical figure with the Kahrl surname was Friedrich Kahrl (1785-1856), a German philosopher and writer who lived during the Romantic era. He wrote extensively on topics such as aesthetics and the philosophy of art, and his works were influential in shaping the intellectual discourse of the time.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Kahrl can be found in various military records from the Napoleonic Wars and the subsequent conflicts involving German states. One such individual was Wilhelm Kahrl (1792-1862), a Prussian officer who fought in the Napoleonic campaigns and later served in the Prussian army during the revolutions of 1848.
In the realm of literature, the German author and poet Theodor Kahrl (1837-1901) gained recognition for his works exploring themes of nature and rural life. His poetry collections, such as "Waldlieder" (Forest Songs), were widely acclaimed and contributed to the literary landscape of the time.
As the 19th century progressed, the Kahrl surname began to spread beyond Germany's borders, with some individuals migrating to other parts of Europe and even to the United States. However, the name remained primarily concentrated in its region of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kahrl
Among Census respondents with the surname Kahrl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kahrl 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 Kahrl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 110
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kahrl
Kahrl appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+18 bearers (+18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 17,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+18.0%) | Up 17,464 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 Kahrl 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 | #160,975 | #143,511 | 10.8% |
| Count | 100 | 118 | 18.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 31.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kahrl bearers went from 100 to 118 (+18.0% change). The surname moved up 17,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #143,511.
FAQ
Kahrl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kahrl?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Kahrl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Kahrl?
Kahrl ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Kahrl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kahrl.
Has Kahrl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kahrl went from 100 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 18 (+18.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Kahrl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kahrl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Kahrl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kahrl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Kahrl (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 Kahrl mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Karle", meaning a freeman or free peasant. 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 Kahrl (0.04 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 share the surname Kahrl?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.