2000
#14,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,909
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Keplinger
An occupational surname of German origin, referring to a maker of cloaks, robes, or coats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,185 Americans carry the last name Keplinger. That puts it at #14,912 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,867 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keplinger 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
2.2K
1 in 156,867
Census rank
#14,912
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,905 bearers of the surname Keplinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14912th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keplinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keplinger
The surname Keplinger is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century in the southern regions of what is now modern-day Germany. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Kepler," meaning "maker of small wooden containers or cups." This occupation-based name was likely given to individuals who specialized in crafting these vessels, which were commonly used for drinking and storing liquids.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keplinger can be found in the historical records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, dating back to the late 1500s. In these documents, a family by the name of Keplinger is mentioned as being residents of the town, with several members working as skilled artisans and craftsmen.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Keplinger name began to spread throughout other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland. This was likely due to the migration of families in search of better economic opportunities or fleeing religious persecution.
One notable historical figure bearing the Keplinger surname was Johann Keplinger (1571-1630), a renowned German astronomer and mathematician. He is best known for his groundbreaking work on the laws of planetary motion, which laid the foundation for much of modern astronomy. His contributions earned him a place among the most influential scientific minds of the Scientific Revolution.
Another individual of historical significance was Maria Keplinger (1824-1888), a German-born American nurse who served during the American Civil War. She was widely recognized for her dedication and compassion in caring for wounded soldiers on the battlefield, earning her the nickname "The Angel of the Battlefield."
The name Keplinger also found its way into various place names across Germany and Austria. For example, the village of Keplingerberg in the Austrian state of Lower Austria is named after a family who once owned land in the area. Similarly, the town of Keplinger in the German state of Bavaria likely derived its name from early settlers bearing this surname.
Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the Keplinger name have emerged, including Keplinger, Keplenger, and Keblinger, among others. However, these variations all stem from the same Germanic root and share a common ancestral lineage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keplinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Keplinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Keplinger 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 Keplinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,745
- Two or more races3.8% · 72
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- Black or African American0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keplinger
Keplinger 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
#15,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,946
+37 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 768 places
2020
#14,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,905
-41 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 239 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,383 | 1,909 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,151 | 1,946 | 0.66 | +37 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 768 places |
| 2020 | #14,912 | 1,905 | 0.64 | -41 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 239 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 Keplinger 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 | #15,151 | #14,912 | 1.6% |
| Count | 1,946 | 1,905 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.64 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keplinger bearers went from 1,946 to 1,905 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 239 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,151 to #14,912.
FAQ
Keplinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keplinger?
Name Census estimates that about 2,185 living Americans carry the surname Keplinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,867 residents.
How common is Keplinger?
Keplinger ranks #14,912 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,905 people with the surname Keplinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,185), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Keplinger.
Has Keplinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keplinger went from 1,946 recorded bearers to 1,905. That is a decrease of 41 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,151 to #14,912.
What does the Census say about the background of Keplinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keplinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Keplinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,745 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keplinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Keplinger (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 Keplinger mean?
An occupational surname of German origin, referring to a maker of cloaks, robes, or coats. 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 Keplinger (0.64 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 Keplinger?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Keplinger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.