2000
#11,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,588
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Kelm
A toponymic surname derived from the town of Kelm in northern Poland, possibly referring to an elm tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,976 Americans carry the last name Kelm. That puts it at #11,588 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 115,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kelm 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
3.0K
1 in 115,173
Census rank
#11,588
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,595 bearers of the surname Kelm in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11588th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelm, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kelm
The surname Kelm is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century in the region of Prussia. It is believed to have derived from the Old Prussian word "kelme," which translates to "grove" or "thicket," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Kelm surname can be found in the Prussian Chronicles, a historical text dating back to the late 15th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Kelme," "Kelmme," and "Kelmb," reflecting the linguistic evolution of the time.
In the 16th century, the Kelm name gained prominence in the region of East Prussia, now part of modern-day Poland and Russia. Historical records from this period mention several individuals bearing the Kelm surname, including Hans Kelm (1520-1589), a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad).
As the Kelm family spread across northern Germany and neighboring regions, the name took on variations in spelling, such as "Kelm," "Kelmb," and "Kelmer." In the 18th century, a notable figure named Johann Kelm (1741-1817) was a renowned clockmaker and inventor from the town of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland).
Another historical figure associated with the Kelm surname is Friedrich Kelm (1816-1891), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on biblical exegesis and religious philosophy. His works were widely read and influential in academic circles of the time.
In the 19th century, the Kelm name also gained recognition in the field of agriculture and land management. Karl Kelm (1835-1901) was a pioneering agronomist and author who published several influential texts on farming techniques and sustainable land use practices.
Throughout its history, the Kelm surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, entrepreneurs, and landowners. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, referring to those who lived or worked in wooded areas, it has since been associated with notable figures who have made significant contributions to their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kelm
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelm, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kelm 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 Kelm surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,401
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 91
- Two or more races2.9% · 74
- Black or African American0.7% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kelm
Kelm 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
#14,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,011
-577 bearers (-22.3%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 3,541 places
2020
#11,588
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,595
+584 bearers (+29.0%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 3,180 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,227 | 2,588 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,768 | 2,011 | 0.68 | -577 bearers (-22.3%) | Down 3,541 places |
| 2020 | #11,588 | 2,595 | 0.87 | +584 bearers (+29.0%) | Up 3,180 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 Kelm 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 | #14,768 | #11,588 | 21.5% |
| Count | 2,011 | 2,595 | 29.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.87 | 27.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kelm bearers went from 2,011 to 2,595 (+29.0% change). The surname moved up 3,180 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,768 to #11,588.
FAQ
Kelm surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kelm?
Name Census estimates that about 2,976 living Americans carry the surname Kelm. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 115,173 residents.
How common is Kelm?
Kelm ranks #11,588 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 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 2,595 people with the surname Kelm. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,976), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 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 Kelm.
Has Kelm become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kelm went from 2,011 recorded bearers to 2,595. That is an increase of 584 (+29.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,768 to #11,588.
What does the Census say about the background of Kelm?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelm, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Kelm in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,401 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kelm appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Kelm (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 Kelm mean?
A toponymic surname derived from the town of Kelm in northern Poland, possibly referring to an elm tree. 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 Kelm (0.87 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 common is the surname Kelm?
Find out how many people have the last name Kelm on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.