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

Kaiser, 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 Kaiser surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kaiser in America

Kaiser is the 1039th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kaiser surname appeared 33,480 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Kaiser.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kaiser 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 Kaiser

The surname KAISER originated in Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Kaiser," which means "emperor" or "Caesar." The name likely emerged as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who held a position of authority or power, or perhaps someone who worked for an emperor or in the imperial court.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KAISER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the former Kingdom of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name also appears in various medieval records and manuscripts from regions such as Bavaria, Swabia, and the Rhineland.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Hans KAISER (c. 1310-1380) was a German goldsmith and burgher from the city of Nuremberg. He was renowned for his intricate metalwork and served as a master craftsman for the Imperial Court.

Another notable individual with the surname KAISER was Johann KAISER (1642-1716), a German jurist and legal scholar. He authored several influential works on Roman law and served as a professor at the University of Ingolstadt.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the KAISER surname was also associated with various place names in German-speaking regions. For example, the town of Kaiserstuhl in southwestern Germany, which translates to "Emperor's Chair," likely derived its name from the presence of individuals with the surname KAISER in the area.

In the 19th century, Friedrich KAISER (1808-1888) was a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction and modernization of Berlin after the Prussian Wars of Unification.

Another noteworthy figure was Georg KAISER (1878-1945), a prominent German dramatist and playwright known for his expressionist works, including the play "From Morn to Midnight" (1912).

Throughout its history, the surname KAISER has been associated with various professions, from craftsmen and scholars to artists and public figures, all reflecting the influence and prominence of individuals bearing this name in German-speaking regions and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kaiser

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

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

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

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