2000
#100,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Keeslar
A variant of the German surname Kessel, possibly indicating a metalworker occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 204 Americans carry the last name Keeslar. That puts it at #106,589 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,680,168 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keeslar 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
204
1 in 1,680,168
Census rank
#106,589
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
178
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 178 bearers of the surname Keeslar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 106589th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeslar, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keeslar
The surname Keeslar is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the German word "Keiser," which means "emperor" or "Caesar." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked in the service of the emperor or had some association with imperial affairs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keeslar can be found in the town of Wittenberg, in the eastern part of Germany. In a church registry from 1583, a certain Hans Keeslar is mentioned as a resident of the town. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name Keeslar appears in various legal documents and land records in the region of Saxony, which was a powerful state within the Holy Roman Empire at the time. This indicates that the family had established itself in the area and may have held some social standing or property.
As the centuries passed, the name Keeslar began to spread beyond the borders of Germany. In the late 18th century, a man named Johann Keeslar emigrated from Germany to the United States, settling in Pennsylvania. He is considered one of the earliest bearers of the name to arrive in America, paving the way for future generations of Keeslars in the New World.
One notable figure with the surname Keeslar was Wilhelm Keeslar, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1805 to 1872. He authored several books on ethics and political theory, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time. Another individual of note was Anna Keeslar, a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for girls in the city of Hamburg in the mid-19th century.
In the 20th century, the name Keeslar gained further recognition with the accomplishments of individuals like Robert Keeslar, an American architect who designed several landmark buildings in New York City during the 1920s and 1930s. Additionally, there was Julia Keeslar, a renowned botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant species in the Appalachian region of the United States in the 1960s.
While the surname Keeslar may not be among the most common worldwide, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its Germanic roots. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from scholars and artists to professionals and pioneers, leaving an indelible mark on the communities they were a part of.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keeslar
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeslar, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Keeslar 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 Keeslar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 154
- Two or more races6.2% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keeslar
Keeslar 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
#110,286
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
-6 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 9,623 places
2020
#106,589
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 178
+18 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 3,697 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #100,663 | 166 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #110,286 | 160 | 0.05 | -6 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 9,623 places |
| 2020 | #106,589 | 178 | 0.06 | +18 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 3,697 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 Keeslar 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 | #110,286 | #106,589 | 3.4% |
| Count | 160 | 178 | 11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 19.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keeslar bearers went from 160 to 178 (+11.3% change). The surname moved up 3,697 positions in the national ranking, going from #110,286 to #106,589.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Keeslar
FAQ
Keeslar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keeslar?
Name Census estimates that about 204 living Americans carry the surname Keeslar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,680,168 residents.
How common is Keeslar?
Keeslar ranks #106,589 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 178 people with the surname Keeslar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (204), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Keeslar.
Has Keeslar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keeslar went from 160 recorded bearers to 178. That is an increase of 18 (+11.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #110,286 to #106,589.
What does the Census say about the background of Keeslar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keeslar, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Keeslar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (154 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keeslar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Two or More Races (6.2%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Keeslar (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 Keeslar mean?
A variant of the German surname Kessel, possibly indicating a metalworker occupation. 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 Keeslar (0.06 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 are called Keeslar?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Keeslar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.