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

Kegler, 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 Kegler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kegler in America

Kegler is the 13867th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kegler surname appeared 2,179 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kegler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kegler 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 Kegler

The surname Kegler originated in Germany during the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "kegler," which means "skittle-player" or "ninepin bowler." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who played a game similar to modern bowling or participated in a bowling-related profession.

The earliest recorded instances of the Kegler surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Swabia. The name appeared in historical documents and records, including town registers and tax rolls.

One notable early bearer of the Kegler name was Hans Kegler, a merchant who lived in Nuremberg in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several trade records from the city's archives, indicating his involvement in the local economy.

In the 16th century, the Kegler name was also found in the Palatinate region of Germany. Wilhelm Kegler, born in 1522, was a prominent scholar and theologian who authored several religious texts during the Protestant Reformation.

As the Kegler family spread across different parts of Germany over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, such as Kegler, Keglerin, and Kegeler. Some of these alternate spellings may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors in historical records.

One notable place name associated with the Kegler surname is Keglerhof, a village in the Bavarian town of Ruhstorf an der Rott. This location likely derived its name from an early Kegler family residing in the area.

In the 19th century, Johann Kegler (1819-1892) was a German-American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1874 to 1876. He was instrumental in the development of the city's infrastructure and public services.

Another notable bearer of the Kegler name was Friedrich Kegler (1866-1942), a German architect who specialized in the design of schools and public buildings. His works can be found in various cities across Germany, including Berlin and Dresden.

While the Kegler surname is relatively uncommon outside of German-speaking regions, it has been carried by individuals throughout history, reflecting its origins in the skittle-playing or bowling-related professions of medieval Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kegler

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

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

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

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