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

Kelch, 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 Kelch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kelch in America

Kelch is the 10613th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kelch surname appeared 3,018 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 Kelch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kelch 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 Kelch

The surname Kelch originates from Germany and dates back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "kelch," which means "cup" or "chalice." The name may have been initially given as a descriptive term for someone who made or sold cups or chalices, or it could have been a distinguishing name for someone who lived near a distinctive cup-shaped landform.

In the 13th century, a record exists of a Henricus Kelch in the town of Speyer, Germany. This is one of the earliest known instances of the name in written records. The Kelch name also appears in various historical documents from the Rhineland region of Germany during the 14th and 15th centuries.

One notable historical figure with the surname Kelch was Johann Peter Theodor Kelch, a German writer and translator born in 1701 in Bayreuth. He is known for his translations of French literary works into German.

Another significant individual was Johann Adam Kelch, born in 1737 in Nuremberg, who was a renowned German engraver and etcher. His etchings of architectural subjects and landscapes were highly regarded in his time.

In the 16th century, the Kelch name can be found in records from the town of Wunsiedel in the Fichtelgebirge region of Bavaria. The surname may have originated from a nearby place name, such as the village of Kelchsau or the Kelchbach stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kelch name in England dates back to the late 16th century, when Hans Kelch, a German immigrant, settled in London and was naturalized as an English citizen in 1591.

Another notable figure was Johann Kelch, a German astronomer born in 1671 in Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland). He made significant contributions to the study of comets and published several astronomical works during his lifetime.

While the Kelch surname is predominantly German in origin, it has also been found in various other European countries, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. The name has been spelled in different variations, such as Kelch, Kelche, Kelche, and Kelch, but the core meaning and etymology remain the same.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kelch

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

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

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

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