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

Keffeler, 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 Keffeler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keffeler in America

Keffeler is the 79598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keffeler surname appeared 239 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 Keffeler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keffeler 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 Keffeler

The surname Keffeler originates from Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "keffel," which means "cauldron" or "kettle." This suggests that the name likely referred to an occupation or trade involving the making or selling of kettles or cauldrons.

In the earliest known records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Kefeler, Keffler, and Keffelmann. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions in those times. The name was most prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Keffeler can be found in the church records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, dating back to 1568. The record mentions a Johannes Keffeler, who was a member of the local metalworkers' guild.

Another notable figure was Hans Keffeler, a master blacksmith who lived in Nuremberg during the late 16th century. His intricate works in wrought iron were highly sought after and can still be seen adorning some of the city's historic buildings.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the town of Ulm, where a family of Keffelers were renowned for their skill in crafting copper and brass vessels. One member, Michael Keffeler (1620-1688), was particularly renowned for his ornate beer steins, which were commissioned by nobility and wealthy merchants across Europe.

During the 18th century, the name Keffeler began to spread beyond southern Germany as families migrated to other regions. In 1723, a Johann Keffeler from Baden-Württemberg settled in the city of Hamburg, where he established a successful metalworking business that continued through several generations.

Another notable figure from this period was Friedrich Keffeler (1762-1842), a scholar and linguist from Saxony. He was one of the first to study and document the dialects and linguistic variations found across the German-speaking regions, contributing significantly to the field of philology.

As the centuries progressed, the Keffeler name continued to be associated with skilled metalworkers and artisans, though some members of the family also pursued other professions, such as academia, law, and commerce.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keffeler

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!