2000
#87,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Kartheiser
A German surname meaning "carter" or one who transported goods by cart or wagon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 267 Americans carry the last name Kartheiser. That puts it at #86,153 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,283,724 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kartheiser 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
267
1 in 1,283,724
Census rank
#86,153
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
233
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 233 bearers of the surname Kartheiser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 86153rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kartheiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kartheiser
The surname KARTHEISER is of German origin, believed to have first emerged in the 14th century in the region of Bavaria. It is thought to be derived from the German word "karth," which referred to a type of cart or wagon, suggesting the name may have originally been an occupational surname for a cartwright or someone involved in the transportation industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 15th-century document from the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Kartheiser is mentioned as a respected member of the local guild of cartwrights. This provides evidence that the name was already well-established in that area by that time.
In the 16th century, the name appears in several church records and municipal registers across various parts of southern Germany, including the cities of Munich and Augsburg. The spelling variations at that time included Kartheiser, Kartheißer, and Kartheußer.
A notable figure bearing the name was Johann Kartheiser (1570-1638), a German scholar and theologian from the city of Regensburg. He authored several influential works on religious philosophy and is considered a key figure in the intellectual discourse of the Reformation era.
Moving forward to the 18th century, there are records of a family of Kartheisers residing in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria. This branch of the family is said to have produced several skilled artisans and craftsmen who contributed to the town's rich cultural heritage.
In the 19th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of Wilhelm Kartheiser (1821-1892), a German-American industrialist who founded a successful steel manufacturing company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is credited with introducing several innovative techniques in the steel production process and played a significant role in the rapid industrialization of the United States during that period.
Another noteworthy figure was Anna Kartheiser (1879-1949), a German artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her intricate woodcarvings and sculptures depicting traditional Bavarian themes and folklore. Her works are celebrated for their attention to detail and their ability to capture the essence of rural German culture.
As the name spread beyond Germany, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. While the name is still relatively uncommon, it has left an indelible mark on various aspects of history, from religion and philosophy to art and industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kartheiser
Among Census respondents with the surname Kartheiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kartheiser 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 Kartheiser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 216
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 14
- Two or more races0.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kartheiser
Kartheiser 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
#86,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 216
+19 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 1,415 places
2020
#86,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 233
+17 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 161 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #87,729 | 197 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #86,314 | 216 | 0.07 | +19 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 1,415 places |
| 2020 | #86,153 | 233 | 0.08 | +17 bearers (+7.9%) | Up 161 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 Kartheiser 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 | #86,314 | #86,153 | 0.2% |
| Count | 216 | 233 | 7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kartheiser bearers went from 216 to 233 (+7.9% change). The surname moved up 161 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,314 to #86,153.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kartheiser
FAQ
Kartheiser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kartheiser?
Name Census estimates that about 267 living Americans carry the surname Kartheiser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,283,724 residents.
How common is Kartheiser?
Kartheiser ranks #86,153 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 233 people with the surname Kartheiser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (267), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Kartheiser.
Has Kartheiser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kartheiser went from 216 recorded bearers to 233. That is an increase of 17 (+7.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #86,314 to #86,153.
What does the Census say about the background of Kartheiser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kartheiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) 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 Kartheiser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (216 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kartheiser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (6.0%), 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 Kartheiser (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 Kartheiser mean?
A German surname meaning "carter" or one who transported goods by cart or wagon. 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 Kartheiser (0.08 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 surname Kartheiser?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.