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

Kerst, 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 Kerst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kerst in America

Kerst is the 60196th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kerst surname appeared 335 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 Kerst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kerst 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 Kerst

The surname Kerst is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "kerst," which means "Christmas." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was born or celebrated a significant event during the Christmas season.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kerst can be found in the baptismal records of the Dutch Reformed Church in Amsterdam, where a child named Pieter Kerst was baptized in 1598. The name also appears in other historical records from the region, such as the Leiden court archives, where a man named Jan Kerst was mentioned in a legal document from 1642.

In the 17th century, the name Kerst appears to have spread beyond the Netherlands, with records indicating its presence in parts of Germany and Belgium. For instance, a tombstone in the churchyard of St. Petri in Lübeck, Germany, bears the inscription "Hans Kerst, 1675."

One notable individual with the surname Kerst was Pieter Kerst, a Dutch naval officer who served in the 17th century. He was born in 1628 and played a significant role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars, commanding several ships in battles against the English fleet.

Another historical figure was Jan Kerst, a Dutch merchant and trader who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was involved in the lucrative spice trade between the Netherlands and the East Indies, establishing trading posts in various parts of modern-day Indonesia.

In the 18th century, the name Kerst can be found in records from the United States, likely brought over by Dutch immigrants. One such individual was Johannes Kerst, who was born in 1745 in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (present-day New York). He later served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Moving into the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Kerst surname was Willem Kerst, a Dutch artist and painter born in 1834. He was known for his landscapes and seascapes, many of which depicted scenes from his native Holland.

Lastly, a more recent historical figure with the surname Kerst was Fernand Kerst, a Belgian painter and engraver who lived from 1888 to 1964. He was particularly renowned for his etchings and lithographs, which often captured the everyday life and landscapes of his homeland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kerst

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

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

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

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