2000
#11,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,465
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Kehl
A German topographic surname referring to someone who lived by a gorge or ravine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,820 Americans carry the last name Kehl. That puts it at #12,100 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,544 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kehl 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
2.8K
1 in 121,544
Census rank
#12,100
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,459 bearers of the surname Kehl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12100th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kehl
The surname KEHL is of German origin, deriving from the German word Kehl, which refers to a throat or gullet. This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a prominent or distinctive throat or as an occupational name for someone who worked with throats, such as a butcher or doctor.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname KEHL can be traced back to the 14th century in southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. One of the earliest documented references to the name is found in the Würzburg city records from 1363, which mentions a Hans Kehl residing in the area.
In the 15th century, the name KEHL appears in various historical records and manuscripts, including the Nuremberg tax rolls from 1497, which list a Kunz Kehl as a taxpayer. Another notable mention is in the Augsburg guild records from 1472, where a Michael Kehl is registered as a member of the butchers' guild.
The town of Kehl, located on the Rhine River in southwestern Germany, may have contributed to the spread and popularity of the KEHL surname. This town dates back to the 8th century and was originally known as Cella, which could be related to the surname's meaning.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname KEHL, including:
1. Johann Kehl (1459-1516), a German Renaissance humanist and scholar from Nuremberg.
2. Matthias Kehl (1625-1701), a German composer and organist active in Württemberg.
3. Johann Baptist Kehl (1778-1849), a German Catholic theologian and writer from Freiburg.
4. Georg Kehl (1804-1876), a German architect and urban planner who designed several buildings in Frankfurt.
5. Gustav Kehl (1868-1944), a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and portraits.
While the surname KEHL has its roots in southern Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world due to migration and emigration. However, it remains most prevalent in Germany, particularly in the regions where it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kehl
Among Census respondents with the surname Kehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kehl 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 Kehl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 2,288
- Two or more races2.9% · 71
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 25
- Black or African American0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kehl
Kehl 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
#12,370
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,514
+49 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 710 places
2020
#12,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,459
-55 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 270 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,660 | 2,465 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,370 | 2,514 | 0.85 | +49 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 710 places |
| 2020 | #12,100 | 2,459 | 0.82 | -55 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 270 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 Kehl 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 | #12,370 | #12,100 | 2.2% |
| Count | 2,514 | 2,459 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.82 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kehl bearers went from 2,514 to 2,459 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 270 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,370 to #12,100.
FAQ
Kehl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kehl?
Name Census estimates that about 2,820 living Americans carry the surname Kehl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,544 residents.
How common is Kehl?
Kehl ranks #12,100 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 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 2,459 people with the surname Kehl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,820), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 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 Kehl.
Has Kehl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kehl went from 2,514 recorded bearers to 2,459. That is a decrease of 55 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,370 to #12,100.
What does the Census say about the background of Kehl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Kehl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (2,288 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kehl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Kehl (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 Kehl mean?
A German topographic surname referring to someone who lived by a gorge or ravine. 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 Kehl (0.82 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 share the surname Kehl?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.