2000
#34,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 630
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Kentner
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly indicating origin or residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 709 Americans carry the last name Kentner. That puts it at #38,554 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 483,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kentner 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
709
1 in 483,433
Census rank
#38,554
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
618
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 618 bearers of the surname Kentner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38554th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kentner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kentner
The surname Kentner originated in Germany, likely emerging during the Middle Ages between the 5th and 15th centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "kent," meaning "known" or "familiar," suggesting the name was initially a descriptive nickname for someone who was well-known within a community.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. In some historical documents from this period, the name appears with slight variations in spelling, such as "Kentner" or "Kentener."
One notable historical reference to the Kentner name can be found in the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Württemberg, Germany. This manuscript, dating back to the 14th century, includes several mentions of individuals bearing the Kentner surname.
Among the earliest known bearers of the Kentner name was Hans Kentner, a merchant and landowner from the town of Nuremberg, who lived in the late 15th century. Another prominent figure was Johann Kentner, a Catholic priest and scholar who resided in the city of Cologne during the 16th century (born around 1490, died circa 1560).
The Kentner surname also has historical ties to various place names in Germany, such as the village of Kentheim in Bavaria, which may have influenced the name's evolution.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Kentner surname. These include:
1. Christian Kentner (1633-1701), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg.
2. Johann Baptist Kentner (1732-1808), a German painter and engraver from Augsburg.
3. Karl Kentner (1796-1869), a German politician and lawyer who served as the Mayor of Leipzig.
4. Gustav Kentner (1842-1909), a German architect and professor at the Technical University of Munich.
5. Louis Kentner (1905-1987), a British pianist of German descent, renowned for his interpretations of Beethoven's works.
While the Kentner surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and various historical events.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kentner
Among Census respondents with the surname Kentner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kentner 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 Kentner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 564
- Two or more races3.7% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 7
- Black or African American0.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kentner
Kentner 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
#37,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 600
-30 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 3,109 places
2020
#38,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 618
+18 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 1,374 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,071 | 630 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #37,180 | 600 | 0.20 | -30 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 3,109 places |
| 2020 | #38,554 | 618 | 0.21 | +18 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 1,374 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 Kentner 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 | #37,180 | #38,554 | -3.7% |
| Count | 600 | 618 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.21 | 3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kentner bearers went from 600 to 618 (+3.0% change). The surname moved down 1,374 positions in the national ranking, going from #37,180 to #38,554.
FAQ
Kentner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kentner?
Name Census estimates that about 709 living Americans carry the surname Kentner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 483,433 residents.
How common is Kentner?
Kentner ranks #38,554 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 618 people with the surname Kentner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (709), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Kentner.
Has Kentner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kentner went from 600 recorded bearers to 618. That is an increase of 18 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #37,180 to #38,554.
What does the Census say about the background of Kentner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kentner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Kentner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (564 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kentner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Kentner (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 Kentner mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly indicating origin or residence. 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 Kentner (0.21 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 are called Kentner?
See how many people are called Kentner on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.