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

Kerstetter, 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 Kerstetter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kerstetter in America

Kerstetter is the 11553rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kerstetter surname appeared 2,721 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kerstetter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kerstetter 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 Kerstetter

The surname Kerstetter has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the German words "Kerst" or "Kerst," meaning "cherry," and "etter," a suffix indicating a person or place associated with cherries or cherry trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kerstetter can be found in the records of the German state of Hesse, where a family bearing this surname lived in the town of Kerstetten, near the city of Kassel. This town's name likely gave rise to the surname Kerstetter.

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, many German families, including those bearing the name Kerstetter, emigrated to America, particularly to the Pennsylvania Dutch region. These immigrants were seeking religious freedom and economic opportunities.

One of the earliest recorded Kerstetters in America was Johann Georg Kerstetter, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749. He settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he established a farm and began a family.

Another notable Kerstetter was Jacob Kerstetter (1756-1835), a German-American farmer and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Ohio, where he became one of the first settlers in Fairfield County.

In the 19th century, the Kerstetter name appeared in various parts of the United States, particularly in areas with significant German-American populations. One such individual was John Kerstetter (1802-1872), a prominent farmer and businessman from Centre County, Pennsylvania.

Another notable Kerstetter was William Kerstetter (1833-1916), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He was born in Pennsylvania and served in the 148th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, participating in several major battles, including Gettysburg.

As the Kerstetter family spread across the United States, the name appeared in various historical records and documents. However, it did not gain significant fame or recognition until more recent times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kerstetter

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

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

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

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