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

Ker, 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 Ker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ker in America

Ker is the 30889th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ker surname appeared 753 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ker 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 Ker

The surname Ker originated in Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "carr," meaning a marsh or fen, referring to the geographical location where the family first settled.

The name is closely associated with the village of Ker, located in the Scottish Borders region. In the 12th century, the Ker family held lands in the area and became prominent landowners. The spelling variations of the name include Ker, Carr, Carre, and Karre.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Ker can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name "Robert de Ker" appears on this document, indicating the family's significance in medieval Scotland.

In the 14th century, the Kers played a crucial role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England. Sir Robert Ker, a prominent knight, fought alongside King Robert the Bruce and was rewarded with lands for his loyalty and bravery.

During the 16th century, the Kers continued to hold influential positions in Scotland. Sir Andrew Ker of Cessford (1492-1545) was a notable figure who served as the Warden of the Middle Marches, responsible for defending the Scottish Borders against English raids.

Another notable member of the Ker family was Mark Ker (1558-1609), who rose to prominence as a diplomat and ambassador for King James VI of Scotland (later James I of England). He played a crucial role in the union of the Scottish and English crowns.

In the 17th century, Robert Ker (1636-1696) was a renowned playwright and poet, known for his contributions to the Restoration literature of England. His most famous work was the tragedy "The Conspirancy," which was performed at the Theatre Royal in London.

The Ker family continued to hold significant positions in Scottish society throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Sir John Ker (1741-1804) was a prominent military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became the Governor of the British colony of Cape Breton Island.

Another notable figure was Lord Ralph Ker (1785-1842), a Scottish nobleman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and held the position of Lord Privy Seal during the reign of Queen Victoria.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ker

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!