2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kellmer
A variant spelling of a German surname meaning "a person from Kellmünz".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Kellmer. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kellmer 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Kellmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kellmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kellmer
The surname KELLMER is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was derived from the Old German word "kel," meaning "stream" or "brook," and "mer," signifying "lake" or "sea."
The name KELLMER likely referred to individuals who resided near bodies of water, such as streams, lakes, or seas. This connection to geographical features was common in the formation of many surnames during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KELLMER can be found in the Bairische Stammtafeln, a genealogical record of Bavarian families dating back to the 13th century. In this document, a certain Hans Kellmer is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Murnau, situated in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps.
During the 16th century, the name KELLMER appears in various church records and municipal documents across southern Germany. Notable bearers of the name from this era include Johann Kellmer (1512-1586), a respected jurist and legal scholar from Nuremberg, and Magdalena Kellmer (1534-1603), a prominent figure in the Reformation movement who was known for her philanthropic endeavors.
In the 17th century, the KELLMER family branched out to other regions of Germany, with some members settling in the Rhineland and Saxony. One distinguished individual was Hans Georg Kellmer (1636-1712), a renowned architect who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts after the Thirty Years' War.
As the centuries progressed, the KELLMER name spread across Europe, with individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various fields. Peter Kellmer (1779-1856), a German-born American businessman and philanthropist, was instrumental in establishing several charitable organizations in Philadelphia, where he lived and worked.
Another notable figure was Emilie Kellmer (1857-1932), a pioneering German educator who advocated for progressive teaching methods and the inclusion of physical education in school curricula. Her contributions significantly influenced the educational landscape of her time.
While the KELLMER surname may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the picturesque landscapes of Bavaria, where it first emerged as a reflection of the geographical surroundings and way of life of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kellmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Kellmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kellmer 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 Kellmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kellmer
Kellmer 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-16 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,104 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,716 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 20,104 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5,716 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 Kellmer 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 | #135,593 | #141,309 | -4.2% |
| Count | 124 | 121 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kellmer bearers went from 124 to 121 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 5,716 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #141,309.
FAQ
Kellmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kellmer?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Kellmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Kellmer?
Kellmer ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Kellmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kellmer.
Has Kellmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kellmer went from 124 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Kellmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kellmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Kellmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kellmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Hispanic (1.7%), Black (0.8%). 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 Kellmer (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 Kellmer mean?
A variant spelling of a German surname meaning "a person from Kellmünz". 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 Kellmer (0.04 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 Kellmer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.