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

Keiffer, 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 Keiffer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keiffer in America

Keiffer is the 21019th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keiffer surname appeared 1,251 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 Keiffer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keiffer 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 Keiffer

The surname Keiffer originated in the southern regions of Germany during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Germanic word 'Kuofer', meaning a maker or seller of casks, barrels, and other wooden containers. This occupational surname was initially adopted by those who worked in this trade.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded in various forms, such as 'Kufer', 'Kuofer', and 'Kuever', reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in the historical records of the city of Nuremberg, dated 1287, referring to a certain 'Heinrich Kuever'.

As the name spread across different regions, it underwent further transformations. In the Rhineland area, it evolved into 'Kieffer' and 'Keiffer', while in other parts of Germany, spellings like 'Küfer' and 'Küffer' were more common.

Several notable individuals bore this surname throughout history. In the 16th century, Hans Keiffer (1501-1578) was a prominent German artist and engraver known for his intricate woodcut illustrations. A century later, Johann Keiffer (1623-1701) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and horologist in the city of Augsburg.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Keiffer surname also found its way into the records of various European countries. In France, Jean-Baptiste Keiffer (1735-1808) was a respected architect who contributed to the design of several notable buildings in Paris.

As the name spread beyond its German origins, it encountered further variations in spelling and pronunciation. In the United States, the surname Keiffer was often adopted by immigrants from German-speaking regions, with notable individuals such as William Keiffer (1814-1891), a prominent businessman and civic leader in Philadelphia.

Throughout its history, the surname Keiffer has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the varied occupational origins and geographical spread of this Germanic name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keiffer

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

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

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

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