2000
#8,583
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,529
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.31
Rare Last name
Keffer
Derived from the German occupational surname "Kiefer," referring to a pine tree worker or someone who gathered pine pitch.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,643 Americans carry the last name Keffer. That puts it at #9,744 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,086 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keffer 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
3.6K
1 in 94,086
Census rank
#9,744
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,177 bearers of the surname Keffer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9744th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keffer
The surname Keffer is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "kever," which meant a small vat or vessel used for storing liquids. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked as coopers or barrel makers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keffer can be found in the Würzburg census records of 1428, which lists a Johannes Kever residing in the city. Another early reference is found in the Nürnberg archives from 1501, mentioning a Peter Keffer who was a member of the local guild of coopers.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Keffer began to spread across various regions of Germany, with variations in spelling emerging, such as Kaeffer, Kieffer, and Küffer. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
In the late 18th century, Johann Georg Keffer (1737-1815) was a notable German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
Another historical figure bearing the Keffer surname was Gottlob Keffer (1792-1857), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on Christian apologetics and biblical studies.
As German immigration to the United States increased in the 19th century, the Keffer name began to appear in American records. One notable individual was John Keffer (1824-1905), who served as a Union Army officer during the American Civil War and later became a prominent businessman in Illinois.
In the early 20th century, Frederick Keffer (1869-1938) was a renowned American sculptor known for his works adorning public buildings and monuments across the United States, including the iconic statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Overall, the surname Keffer has a rich history rooted in medieval Germany, initially associated with the occupation of barrel making. Over time, it has spread across various regions and continents, with notable individuals bearing the name making significant contributions in fields such as music, theology, military service, and art.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keffer
Among Census respondents with the surname Keffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Keffer 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 Keffer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,948
- Two or more races3.1% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 80
- Black or African American0.7% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keffer
Keffer 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
#9,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,493
-36 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 737 places
2020
#9,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,177
-316 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 424 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,583 | 3,529 | 1.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,320 | 3,493 | 1.18 | -36 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 737 places |
| 2020 | #9,744 | 3,177 | 1.06 | -316 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 424 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 Keffer 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 | #9,320 | #9,744 | -4.5% |
| Count | 3,493 | 3,177 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.06 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keffer bearers went from 3,493 to 3,177 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 424 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,320 to #9,744.
FAQ
Keffer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keffer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,643 living Americans carry the surname Keffer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,086 residents.
How common is Keffer?
Keffer ranks #9,744 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,177 people with the surname Keffer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,643), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Keffer.
Has Keffer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keffer went from 3,493 recorded bearers to 3,177. That is a decrease of 316 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,320 to #9,744.
What does the Census say about the background of Keffer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Keffer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,948 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keffer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Keffer (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 Keffer mean?
Derived from the German occupational surname "Kiefer," referring to a pine tree worker or someone who gathered pine pitch. 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 Keffer (1.06 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 have the last name Keffer?
See how common the surname Keffer is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.