2000
#15,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,719
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.64
Rare Last name
Kelsch
A German toponymic surname indicating an origin near kelp beds or an area of water with kelp.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,382 Americans carry the last name Kelsch. That puts it at #13,909 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,894 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kelsch 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
2.4K
1 in 143,894
Census rank
#13,909
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,077 bearers of the surname Kelsch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13909th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kelsch
The surname Kelsch has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is believed to have derived from the German word "Kelch," which translates to "chalice" or "goblet" in English. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who crafted or sold chalices, which were essential items used in religious ceremonies at the time.
One of the earliest known records of the Kelsch name dates back to the 15th century, where it appears in the town records of Cologne, a city in western Germany. The name was also found in various other regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony, indicating its widespread use across different parts of the country.
In the 16th century, the Kelsch surname is mentioned in the records of the Protestant Reformation, as some individuals bearing this name were among the early supporters of Martin Luther's teachings. This suggests that the Kelsch family may have played a role in the religious and cultural upheaval that swept across Europe during that era.
As the centuries passed, the Kelsch name continued to spread across Germany and beyond. One notable figure bearing this surname was Johann Kelsch, a German composer and organist who lived from 1679 to 1747. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded in his time and contributed to the development of German Baroque music.
Another significant individual with the Kelsch surname was Karl Kelsch, a German painter and engraver who was born in 1846 and died in 1925. He is renowned for his intricate etchings and engravings, which often depicted scenes from German folklore and mythology.
In the 19th century, the Kelsch name also gained a foothold in the United States, as German immigrants began arriving in significant numbers. One notable American Kelsch was John Kelsch, a businessman and politician who served as the mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, from 1902 to 1909.
While the Kelsch surname may have originated as an occupational name related to chalice-making, it has since become a prominent surname in both Germany and other parts of the world, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kelsch
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kelsch 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 Kelsch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 1,940
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 62
- Two or more races1.9% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 22
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kelsch
Kelsch 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
#14,842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,996
+277 bearers (+16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 769 places
2020
#13,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,077
+81 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 933 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,611 | 1,719 | 0.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,842 | 1,996 | 0.68 | +277 bearers (+16.1%) | Up 769 places |
| 2020 | #13,909 | 2,077 | 0.69 | +81 bearers (+4.1%) | Up 933 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 Kelsch 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 | #14,842 | #13,909 | 6.3% |
| Count | 1,996 | 2,077 | 4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.69 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kelsch bearers went from 1,996 to 2,077 (+4.1% change). The surname moved up 933 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,842 to #13,909.
FAQ
Kelsch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kelsch?
Name Census estimates that about 2,382 living Americans carry the surname Kelsch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,894 residents.
How common is Kelsch?
Kelsch ranks #13,909 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,077 people with the surname Kelsch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,382), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Kelsch.
Has Kelsch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kelsch went from 1,996 recorded bearers to 2,077. That is an increase of 81 (+4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,842 to #13,909.
What does the Census say about the background of Kelsch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Kelsch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (1,940 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kelsch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Kelsch (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 Kelsch mean?
A German toponymic surname indicating an origin near kelp beds or an area of water with kelp. 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 Kelsch (0.69 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 Kelsch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.