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

Keltner, 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 Keltner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Keltner in America

Keltner is the 12099th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Keltner surname appeared 2,576 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 Keltner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Keltner 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 Keltner

The surname Keltner is of German origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "kelter," which means "wine press" or "grape press." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were likely involved in the wine-making industry or lived in a region known for its vineyards.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keltner can be found in the town of Württemberg, located in the southwestern region of present-day Germany. The name appears in the parish records of the town, indicating that a family with the surname Keltner resided there in the late 1500s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many German families, including those with the surname Keltner, began migrating to other parts of Europe and the New World in search of better opportunities. This led to the spread and establishment of the name in various regions.

In the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname Keltner was Johann Georg Keltner, a German-born artist and illustrator who lived from 1801 to 1878. His works, which included intricate etchings and engravings, were highly regarded during his time.

Another individual of note was Friedrich Keltner, a German philosopher and educator who lived from 1811 to 1892. He was known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy and served as a professor at several universities in Germany.

In the early 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Keltner was Carl Keltner, an American psychologist and professor who lived from 1913 to 1998. He made significant contributions to the study of human emotions and developed the Keltner Facial Coding System, which is widely used in research on facial expressions.

Another notable figure was Hans Keltner, a German-born architect who lived from 1908 to 1985. He was renowned for his modernist designs and was responsible for several iconic buildings in Germany and Switzerland.

Finally, in the realm of sports, there was Wilbur "Woody" Keltner, an American baseball player who played for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox from 1937 to 1949. He was known for his defensive skills at third base and was a member of the 1948 World Series champion Cleveland Indians team.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Keltner

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

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

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

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