2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kargl
A surname of German or Austrian origin derived from a nickname meaning "stout" or "thickset".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Kargl. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kargl 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Kargl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kargl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kargl
The surname Kargl is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "karg," which means "miserly" or "stingy." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who exhibited frugal or thrifty behavior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kargl name can be found in the Bavarian town of Landshut, where a person named Hans Kargl was mentioned in a local registry in 1386. This document provides valuable insight into the historical presence of the surname in the region.
In the 16th century, the name appears to have spread beyond Bavaria, with records indicating the presence of Kargl families in neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland. One notable individual from this era was Peter Kargl, a respected artisan and woodcarver from Salzburg, who lived from 1520 to 1594.
As time progressed, the Kargl name continued to disperse across German-speaking territories. In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Johann Kargl (1722-1801) made significant contributions to the field of architecture, leaving his mark on the design of several churches and public buildings in the city of Munich.
Another notable bearer of the Kargl surname was Karl Kargl (1858-1938), a respected historian and author from Vienna. His works focused on the cultural and social history of Austria, providing valuable insights into the country's past.
During the 19th century, the Kargl name also gained recognition in the realm of music. One such individual was Franz Kargl (1835-1912), a renowned composer and conductor who served as the director of the Vienna Court Opera for several years.
While the name has its origins in Germany, over the centuries, it has spread to various parts of the world due to migration and other historical factors. However, the majority of recorded instances and notable individuals with the Kargl surname can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kargl
Among Census respondents with the surname Kargl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kargl 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 Kargl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kargl
Kargl 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,744 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,578 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,744 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,578 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 Kargl 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 | #151,532 | #147,954 | 2.4% |
| Count | 108 | 112 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kargl bearers went from 108 to 112 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,578 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #147,954.
FAQ
Kargl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kargl?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Kargl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Kargl?
Kargl ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Kargl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Kargl.
Has Kargl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kargl went from 108 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Kargl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kargl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Kargl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kargl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Kargl (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 Kargl mean?
A surname of German or Austrian origin derived from a nickname meaning "stout" or "thickset". 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 Kargl (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 are called Kargl?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Kargl, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.