2000
#8,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,622
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.34
Rare Last name
Kershner
Derived from the German occupational surname Kirschner, referring to a cherry grower or a person selling cherries.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,842 Americans carry the last name Kershner. That puts it at #9,330 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kershner 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
3.8K
1 in 89,212
Census rank
#9,330
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,350 bearers of the surname Kershner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9330th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kershner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kershner
The surname Kershner is of German origin and is believed to have originated in the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Kirsche," which means "cherry," and the suffix "-ner," which indicates an occupation or place of origin. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who was associated with cherries, perhaps a grower, seller, or someone who lived near a cherry orchard.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the German state of Hesse in the mid-16th century. In 1564, a record mentions a Hans Kerschner from the town of Marburg. Another early reference is found in the village of Kirchhain, where a Johann Kerschner was documented in 1583.
While the name is predominantly German, it has also been found in various other regions, likely due to migration patterns. For example, in the 18th century, there are records of Kershners living in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
One notable figure with this surname was Johann Kershner (1637-1704), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Margrave of Baden-Durlach. His compositions for organ and harpsichord were widely performed during his lifetime.
Another individual of historical significance was Wilhelm Kershner (1822-1892), a German-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Philadelphia, including the German Society of Pennsylvania's headquarters and the Southwark Theatre.
In the realm of literature, Anna Kershner (1877-1946) was a German writer and poet known for her works exploring the experiences of women in rural areas. Her collection of short stories, "Dorfgeschichten" (Village Stories), was widely acclaimed.
Across the Atlantic, John Kershner (1842-1914) was an American Civil War veteran who served in the Union Army and later became a prominent businessman in Ohio, founding the Kershner Brick Company.
Lastly, Gottfried Kershner (1860-1938) was a German-American brewer who established the Kershner Brewing Company in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the late 19th century, contributing to the region's thriving beer industry.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Kershner throughout history, highlighting the name's German roots and its presence across various professions and regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kershner
Among Census respondents with the surname Kershner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kershner 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 Kershner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 3,105
- Two or more races3.0% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- Black or African American0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kershner
Kershner 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
#7,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,219
+597 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Up 542 places
2020
#9,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,350
-869 bearers (-20.6%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 1,483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,389 | 3,622 | 1.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,847 | 4,219 | 1.43 | +597 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 542 places |
| 2020 | #9,330 | 3,350 | 1.12 | -869 bearers (-20.6%) | Down 1,483 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 Kershner 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 | #7,847 | #9,330 | -18.9% |
| Count | 4,219 | 3,350 | -20.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.43 | 1.12 | -21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kershner bearers went from 4,219 to 3,350 (-20.6% change). The surname moved down 1,483 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,847 to #9,330.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kershner
FAQ
Kershner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kershner?
Name Census estimates that about 3,842 living Americans carry the surname Kershner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,212 residents.
How common is Kershner?
Kershner ranks #9,330 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,350 people with the surname Kershner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,842), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Kershner.
Has Kershner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kershner went from 4,219 recorded bearers to 3,350. That is a decrease of 869 (-20.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,847 to #9,330.
What does the Census say about the background of Kershner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kershner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Kershner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (3,105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kershner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Kershner (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 Kershner mean?
Derived from the German occupational surname Kirschner, referring to a cherry grower or a person selling cherries. 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 Kershner (1.12 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 share the surname Kershner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.