2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kalember
An East European surname deriving from the Polish place name meaning "one who comes from Kalembor".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Kalember. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kalember 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Kalember in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalember, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kalember
The surname KALEMBER has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, tracing back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Slavic word "kalambur," which referred to a type of wordplay or pun. This linguistic root suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals known for their wit and wordplay abilities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KALEMBER can be found in a Czech manuscript dating back to 1498, which mentions a certain Jakub KALEMBER, a renowned court jester known for his clever wordplay and entertaining performances.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name KALEMBER began to spread across various Slavic regions, including Poland, Slovakia, and parts of modern-day Ukraine. It appeared in several historical records and municipal documents, indicating the presence of families bearing this surname in various towns and villages.
In the late 17th century, a notable figure named Jan KALEMBER (1642-1712) gained recognition as a skilled linguist and translator, contributing to the preservation and dissemination of Slavic literature during the Renaissance period.
As the name KALEMBER spread throughout Eastern Europe, it also evolved into various regional spellings and variations, such as Kalamber, Kalemberski, and Kalembrowicz, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the Slavic regions.
Another prominent individual with the surname KALEMBER was Matej KALEMBER (1791-1858), a Slovak poet and playwright whose works played a significant role in the cultural renaissance of the Slovak language and literature in the 19th century.
In the 20th century, the name KALEMBER gained further recognition with the achievements of renowned Czech author and novelist, Vladimír KALEMBER (1926-2003), whose works explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
Throughout history, the surname KALEMBER has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including writers, artists, scholars, and performers, reflecting the diverse talents and contributions of those who have borne this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kalember
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalember, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kalember 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 Kalember surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kalember
Kalember appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-8 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,193 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 16,193 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 129 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 Kalember 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 | #144,141 | #144,270 | -0.1% |
| Count | 115 | 117 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kalember bearers went from 115 to 117 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #144,270.
FAQ
Kalember surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kalember?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Kalember. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Kalember?
Kalember ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Kalember. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Kalember.
Has Kalember become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kalember went from 115 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Kalember?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalember, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Kalember in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kalember appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Kalember (2000, 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 Kalember mean?
An East European surname deriving from the Polish place name meaning "one who comes from Kalembor". 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 Kalember (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 have the last name Kalember?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Kalember is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.