2000
#35,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 604
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Kelner
An occupational surname derived from the German word for waiter or server.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 687 Americans carry the last name Kelner. That puts it at #39,592 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 498,915 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kelner 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
687
1 in 498,915
Census rank
#39,592
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
599
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 599 bearers of the surname Kelner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39592nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kelner
The surname KELNER is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "kelner" or "kelner," which means "cellar master" or "steward." The name first appeared in the 13th century in various regions of modern-day Germany, particularly in areas where viticulture (the cultivation of grapevines) was prevalent.
The surname KELNER is believed to have originated as an occupational name, referring to individuals who were responsible for managing the cellars and overseeing the storage and distribution of wine and other alcoholic beverages. As the wine industry flourished in certain German regions, the role of the cellar master became increasingly important, leading to the emergence of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KELNER can be found in the Stadtsarchiv Köln (Cologne City Archives) from the year 1292, where a certain "Heinrich Kelner" is mentioned as a resident of the city. Another notable reference is in the Stadtbuch von Trier (City Book of Trier) from 1368, which lists a "Johann Kelner" among the citizens of the city.
In the 15th century, the surname KELNER started appearing in various parts of Germany, including in the regions of Saxony, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate. Johann Kelner (1451-1516), a German lawyer and humanist scholar from Trier, was one of the notable figures bearing this surname during this period.
As the surname spread across Germany, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Kellner, Keller, and Kellerer, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations. One prominent individual with the name Kellner was David Kellner (1670-1753), a German Baroque composer and organist from Saxony.
In the 19th century, the surname KELNER can be found in various German records and documents, including the Prussian Volkszählung (census) of 1871. Notable figures during this time include Wilhelm Kellner (1805-1870), a German mathematician and educator from Saxony, and August Kellner (1838-1915), a German politician and journalist from Bavaria.
As the name KELNER spread beyond Germany through migration and immigration, it also became established in other parts of Europe and the Americas. For example, Joseph Kellner (1805-1872) was a Czech painter and lithographer who made significant contributions to the art world in the 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kelner
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kelner 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 Kelner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 554
- Two or more races3.5% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kelner
Kelner 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
#40,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 540
-64 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 5,206 places
2020
#39,592
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 599
+59 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 902 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,288 | 604 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,494 | 540 | 0.18 | -64 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 5,206 places |
| 2020 | #39,592 | 599 | 0.20 | +59 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 902 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 Kelner 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 | #40,494 | #39,592 | 2.2% |
| Count | 540 | 599 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.20 | 11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kelner bearers went from 540 to 599 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 902 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,494 to #39,592.
FAQ
Kelner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kelner?
Name Census estimates that about 687 living Americans carry the surname Kelner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 498,915 residents.
How common is Kelner?
Kelner ranks #39,592 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 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 599 people with the surname Kelner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (687), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 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 Kelner.
Has Kelner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kelner went from 540 recorded bearers to 599. That is an increase of 59 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #40,494 to #39,592.
What does the Census say about the background of Kelner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Kelner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (554 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kelner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Kelner (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 Kelner mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word for waiter or server. 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 Kelner (0.20 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 have the last name Kelner?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Kelner? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.