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

Kefauver, 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 Kefauver surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kefauver in America

Kefauver is the 53072nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kefauver surname appeared 390 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 Kefauver.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kefauver 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 Kefauver

The surname Kefauver is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German words "kaffé" meaning "coffee" and "haver" meaning "oats." It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, Germany, in the late 15th or early 16th century.

During this period, the name was likely used to refer to someone who grew or traded in coffee or oats. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is "Kaffehaver," found in a document from the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, dated 1532.

As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Kefhaver," "Kefhaber," and eventually "Kefauver." One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Kefhaber, a merchant from Nuremberg, Germany, who lived in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name appears in records from the Palatinate region of Germany, where many Kefauvers were farmers or tradesmen. A notable figure from this era was Johann Kefauver, a Lutheran minister born in Heidelberg in 1625.

As German immigrants began to arrive in America in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Kefauver surname made its way to the New World. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Kefauver, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1754.

Throughout the 19th century, the name became more prevalent in the United States, particularly in areas with large German-American populations. Notable individuals with the Kefauver surname include:

1. Estes Kefauver (1903-1963), an American politician and U.S. Senator from Tennessee, known for his investigations into organized crime.
2. William Kefauver (1848-1935), an American industrialist and founder of the Kefauver Milling Company in Ohio.
3. Mary Kefauver (1865-1946), an American educator and advocate for women's rights.
4. Hans Kefauver (1892-1971), a German-American architect known for his work in Cincinnati, Ohio.
5. Robert Kefauver (1917-2005), an American actor and stage director.

While the Kefauver surname has roots in Germany, it has become part of the cultural tapestry of various countries, particularly in the United States, where it has been borne by notable individuals in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kefauver

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

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

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

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