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

Kander, 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 Kander surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kander in America

Kander is the 93513th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kander surname appeared 196 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 Kander.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kander 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 Kander

The surname Kander is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria in the late medieval period. It is derived from the German word "kander," which means "jug" or "pitcher." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a potter or someone who made or sold jugs and pitchers.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various records and manuscripts from the Bavarian region, with spellings such as "Kander," "Cander," and "Khander." One of the earliest recorded examples is Johannes Kander, a potter mentioned in a guild register from the city of Nuremberg in 1387.

The name Kander is also connected to several place names in Bavaria, such as the town of Kanding and the village of Kanderthal. These place names likely originated from the same root word, indicating the presence of potters or pottery-making in those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname Kander include:

1. Friedrich Kander (1720-1786), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and religious scenes.
2. Johann Kander (1805-1871), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Munich, including the Alte Pinakothek art museum.
3. Else Kander (1882-1962), a German actress and singer who performed in numerous operettas and films during the early 20th century.
4. Kurt Kander (1898-1975), an Austrian-born American screenwriter and film director, best known for his collaborations with Marlene Dietrich.
5. John Kander (born 1927), an American composer and lyricist, renowned for his work on Broadway musicals such as "Cabaret" and "Chicago."

While the surname Kander is not as common as some other German surnames, it has a long and rich history, reflecting the traditional craft of pottery-making and the cultural heritage of the Bavarian region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kander

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

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

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

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