2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kaulfers
A spelling variant of the German surname Kaulfuss, derived from the dialectal term for "caulker" or "boatbuilder".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Kaulfers. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kaulfers 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Kaulfers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaulfers, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kaulfers
The surname Kaulfers is of German origin and can be traced back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "kaufel," which means "a small container or cup." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked as a maker or seller of small containers or cups.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kaulfers can be found in the church records of Neustadt an der Waldnaab, a town in Bavaria, Germany, dating back to 1568. Here, the name is spelled "Kaulfferß," indicating a slight variation in the spelling.
In the 17th century, the name Kaulfers appears in several historical documents from the region of Franconia, in present-day northern Bavaria, Germany. For instance, a man named Hans Kaulfers is mentioned in the records of the town of Schweinfurt in 1632.
As the surname Kaulfers spread across different regions of Germany, it underwent slight variations in spelling. In some areas, it was written as "Kaulfer," "Kaulffers," or "Kaulffirs." These variations were common in the era before standardized spelling conventions were established.
One notable individual with the surname Kaulfers was Johann Kaulfers, born in 1712 in the town of Bamberg, Germany. He was a renowned clockmaker and is credited with creating intricate and ornate clocks that were highly sought after by the wealthy and noble families of the time.
Another person of historical significance bearing the name Kaulfers was Maria Kaulfers, born in 1789 in Würzburg, Germany. She was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement of the early 19th century and advocated for equal education opportunities for girls and women.
In the late 19th century, the name Kaulfers can be found in various records from the city of Munich, Bavaria. One such record mentions a certain Friedrich Kaulfers, born in 1867, who was a respected architect and designed several notable buildings in the city.
The surname Kaulfers also has a presence in the historical records of the neighboring regions of Austria and Switzerland. In the early 20th century, a Swiss artist named Anna Kaulfers, born in 1892 in Zurich, gained recognition for her expressive paintings and woodcuts.
While the surname Kaulfers is not among the most common in Germany, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kaulfers
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaulfers, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kaulfers 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 Kaulfers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kaulfers
Kaulfers 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,810 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,579 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 10,810 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 8,579 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 Kaulfers 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 | #136,449 | #145,028 | -6.3% |
| Count | 123 | 116 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kaulfers bearers went from 123 to 116 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 8,579 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #145,028.
FAQ
Kaulfers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kaulfers?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Kaulfers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Kaulfers?
Kaulfers ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Kaulfers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Kaulfers.
Has Kaulfers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kaulfers went from 123 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Kaulfers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaulfers, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Kaulfers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kaulfers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (6.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Kaulfers (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 Kaulfers mean?
A spelling variant of the German surname Kaulfuss, derived from the dialectal term for "caulker" or "boatbuilder". 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 Kaulfers (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 common is the surname Kaulfers?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Kaulfers on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.