Karner last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Karner

A German surname derived from the word "Karn" meaning corner or angle, possibly referring to someone living on a corner or angled street.

Karner, 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 Karner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Karner in America

Karner is the 25102nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Karner surname appeared 989 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 Karner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Karner 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 25102 24328 3.13%
Count 989 965 2.46%
Proportion per 100k 0.34 0.36 -5.71%

The history of the last name Karner

The surname Karner has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Karn," which refers to a ridge or hilltop. The name was likely given to individuals who lived near such geographical features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Karner surname can be found in the city of Nürnberg, Germany, in the late 1300s. In a municipal record from 1387, a certain Hans Karner is mentioned as a landowner in the outskirts of the city.

During the Middle Ages, the Karner name appeared in various historical documents, such as land deeds and tax records, across different regions of Germany. One notable example is the mention of a Johannes Karner in a document from the town of Erfurt, dated 1429.

The Karner surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 16th century, a painter named Albrecht Karner was known for his religious artworks in the city of Augsburg. Another Karner of significance was Johann Karner, a philosopher and educator who lived in the late 18th century and wrote extensively on moral philosophy.

In the 19th century, a German explorer named Wilhelm Karner gained recognition for his travels through South America and his contributions to the field of cartography. He published several maps and journals detailing his expeditions, which took place between 1840 and 1860.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Karner, a German architect who lived from 1822 to 1892. He was responsible for the design and construction of several prominent buildings in Berlin, including the Reichstag building, which served as the home of the German parliament.

The Karner surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany. For instance, the village of Karnerhof in Bavaria and the town of Karneralm in Styria, Austria, both contain the root "Karn," suggesting a connection to the surname's origins.

While the Karner name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world through migration and immigration. However, the historical records and references mentioned here provide insights into the surname's rich heritage and its deep-rooted connections to the German-speaking regions of Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Karner

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

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 Karner was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.03% 930
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.51% 5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.72% 17
Hispanic Origin 3.64% 36

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 Karner has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.03% 95.65% -1.71%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.51% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.72% 1.24% 32.43%
Hispanic 3.64% 2.59% 33.71%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Karner last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/karner-surname-popularity/.

"Karner last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/karner-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Karner last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/karner-surname-popularity/.

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