2000
#7,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,047
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.50
Rare Last name
Kastner
An occupational surname referring to a person who made chests or boxes, derived from the German word "Kasten".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,450 Americans carry the last name Kastner. That puts it at #8,172 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,023 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kastner 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
4.5K
1 in 77,023
Census rank
#8,172
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,881 bearers of the surname Kastner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8172nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kastner, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kastner
The surname Kastner is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Kastner," which means "keeper of the chest" or "treasurer." This occupation-based surname was likely given to individuals who were responsible for managing and safeguarding valuable possessions or finances.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kastner can be found in various German historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the name appears in the "Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis" (Diplomatic Code of Brandenburg), a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg, dating back to the year 1270.
In the 16th century, the name Kastner was also documented in the "Kirchenbücher" (church books) of various German states, such as Bavaria and Saxony. These records often contained information about births, marriages, and deaths within local communities.
One notable figure in history bearing the surname Kastner was Johann Kastner (1668-1744), a German composer and organist from Saxony. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of church music during the Baroque period.
Another individual of historical significance was Abraham Kastner (1719-1800), a German mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of optics. His work on the theory of light and the construction of telescopes earned him recognition among his contemporaries.
In the 19th century, the name Kastner gained further prominence with the birth of Friedrich Kastner (1801-1857), a German jurist and politician who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the revolutions of 1848-1849.
The name Kastner also has ties to various place names and locations in Germany. For instance, the town of Kastnerhof in Bavaria and the village of Kastner in Saxony-Anhalt likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Kastner who resided or held influential roles in those areas.
Throughout history, the Kastner surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including musicians, scholars, politicians, and professionals. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, its presence has spread across various regions and cultures, reflecting the migration and integration of families over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kastner
Among Census respondents with the surname Kastner, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kastner 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 Kastner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 3,463
- Two or more races3.8% · 149
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 135
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 99
- Black or African American0.6% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kastner
Kastner 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
#7,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,136
+89 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 419 places
2020
#8,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,881
-255 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 175 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,578 | 4,047 | 1.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,997 | 4,136 | 1.40 | +89 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 419 places |
| 2020 | #8,172 | 3,881 | 1.30 | -255 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 175 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 Kastner 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 | #7,997 | #8,172 | -2.2% |
| Count | 4,136 | 3,881 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.30 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kastner bearers went from 4,136 to 3,881 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 175 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,997 to #8,172.
FAQ
Kastner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kastner?
Name Census estimates that about 4,450 living Americans carry the surname Kastner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,023 residents.
How common is Kastner?
Kastner ranks #8,172 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,881 people with the surname Kastner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,450), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kastner.
Has Kastner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kastner went from 4,136 recorded bearers to 3,881. That is a decrease of 255 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,997 to #8,172.
What does the Census say about the background of Kastner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kastner, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Kastner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (3,463 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kastner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Kastner (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 Kastner mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who made chests or boxes, derived from the German word "Kasten". 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 Kastner (1.30 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 share the surname Kastner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.