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

Kaufer, 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 Kaufer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kaufer in America

Kaufer is the 40313th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kaufer surname appeared 543 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 Kaufer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kaufer 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 Kaufer

The surname KAUFER originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "kaufen," which means "to buy" or "to trade." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a merchant or trader.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KAUFER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Anhalt in central Germany. The name appears in a document dated 1289, referring to a certain "Johannes Kaufer" who was a merchant in the city of Köthen.

Another early reference to the name KAUFER can be found in the Liber Censuum, a medieval tax register from the city of Cologne. In this document, dated around 1360, a "Henricus Kaufer" is listed as a property owner in the city.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the KAUFER name began to spread beyond its original region, as merchants and traders traveled and settled in other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. Notable individuals with this surname from this period include Hans Kaufer (1456-1523), a prominent merchant in Nuremberg, and Katharina Kaufer (1501-1567), a German writer and poet.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the KAUFER name continued to be prevalent in various parts of Germany, as well as in areas of present-day Austria and Switzerland. One notable figure from this time was Johann Jakob Kaufer (1678-1745), a German theologian and scholar who served as the rector of the University of Tübingen.

As migration increased in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the KAUFER surname began to spread to other parts of the world, particularly to North America and other regions with significant German immigration. One notable individual from this period was Max Kaufer (1857-1922), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Kaufer Brewing Company in New York City.

Throughout history, the KAUFER surname has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, traders, businesspeople, and professionals. While the name may have originated from a specific occupation, it has since become a widespread surname in many parts of the world with significant German heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kaufer

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

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

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

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