2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kerkemeyer
A Dutch or German variant of the surname referring to an individual from a place called Kerkemeyer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Kerkemeyer. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kerkemeyer 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Kerkemeyer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerkemeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kerkemeyer
The surname Kerkemeyer originated in Germany, with earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Low German words "kerke" meaning church and "meyer" meaning steward or administrator, suggesting that the original bearers were likely involved in managing church affairs or properties.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of the town of Bremervörde, in Lower Saxony, Germany, where a certain Johann Kerkemeyer was mentioned in 1587. The name also appeared in various other records from the region during that time period, with variations in spelling such as Kerkmeyer, Kerckmeijer, and Kerckhmeyer.
In the 17th century, the Kerkemeyer family had established roots in the city of Bremen, where they were involved in trade and commerce. Notable individuals from this era include Hinrich Kerkemeyer, a merchant and ship owner born in 1638, and his son, Johann Kerkemeyer, who served as a city councilor in Bremen in the late 1600s.
As the Kerkemeyer family expanded and migrated, their name can be found in various historical records across Germany and neighboring regions. For instance, in the late 18th century, a Johann Kerkemeyer from Hanover served as a soldier in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars.
Another notable figure was Karl Kerkemeyer, a German educator and writer who lived from 1826 to 1892. He was born in the town of Rinteln and later became a prominent teacher and headmaster in the city of Lübeck, where he published several works on pedagogy and educational reform.
In the 19th century, as immigration to the United States increased, many Kerkemeyers left their homeland and settled in various parts of the country, particularly in the Midwest and Great Plains regions. One such individual was Heinrich Kerkemeyer, who was born in Germany in 1831 and later immigrated to Iowa, where he established a successful farming operation.
While the Kerkemeyer name may not be as widely known as some other German surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and regions, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who have carried this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kerkemeyer
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerkemeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kerkemeyer 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 Kerkemeyer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 117
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kerkemeyer
Kerkemeyer 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+16 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,220 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 680 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 7,220 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 680 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 Kerkemeyer 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 | #142,108 | #142,788 | -0.5% |
| Count | 117 | 119 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kerkemeyer bearers went from 117 to 119 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 680 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #142,788.
FAQ
Kerkemeyer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kerkemeyer?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Kerkemeyer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Kerkemeyer?
Kerkemeyer ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Kerkemeyer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kerkemeyer.
Has Kerkemeyer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kerkemeyer went from 117 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Kerkemeyer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerkemeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Kerkemeyer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kerkemeyer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Kerkemeyer (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 Kerkemeyer mean?
A Dutch or German variant of the surname referring to an individual from a place called Kerkemeyer. 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 Kerkemeyer (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Kerkemeyer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.