2000
#29,840
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 743
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Very Rare Last name
Kesling
Of English origin, meaning a dweller from the settlement or wood of keels or boats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 852 Americans carry the last name Kesling. That puts it at #33,067 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 402,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kesling 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
852
1 in 402,294
Census rank
#33,067
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
743
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 743 bearers of the surname Kesling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33067th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kesling, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kesling
The surname Kesling is believed to have originated in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Germanic words "kes" or "kese," which meant cheese, and "ling," meaning a small habitation or clearing. This suggests that the name may have referred to an area or settlement where cheese was produced or traded.
One of the earliest known records of the name can be found in the parish registers of the town of Niederselters, in the state of Hesse, Germany, where a Andreas Kesling was documented in 1572. Another early mention is in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Wiesbaden, where a Johannes Kesling was recorded in 1588.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name appeared in various regions of Germany, including Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bavaria. Some notable individuals with the surname Kesling from this period include Johann Friedrich Kesling (1651-1718), a German theologian and author, and Georg Kesling (1701-1776), a respected philosopher and educator from Nuremberg.
As German immigrants began to arrive in North America in the late 18th and 19th centuries, the Kesling name was introduced to the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances in the United States was in 1754, when a Johann Kesling settled in Pennsylvania.
Throughout the 19th century, several individuals with the Kesling surname made their mark in various fields. These include:
1. William J. Kesling (1815-1895), an American businessman and politician from Ohio, who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
2. Robert V. Kesling (1834-1918), a prominent American engineer and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of agricultural machinery.
3. Anna Kesling (1856-1932), a German-American writer and poet, whose works explored themes of immigration and cultural identity.
4. Ernest Kesling (1875-1946), a British author and journalist, known for his travel writings and articles on international affairs.
5. Hans Kesling (1892-1967), a German-American architect and urban planner, who played a significant role in the development of many cities in the Midwest.
While the Kesling name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark on various fields throughout history, reflecting the diversity and achievements of those who bore this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kesling
Among Census respondents with the surname Kesling, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kesling 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 Kesling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 707
- Two or more races2.4% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 6
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kesling
Kesling 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
#31,629
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 731
-12 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 1,789 places
2020
#33,067
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 743
+12 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 1,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,840 | 743 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,629 | 731 | 0.25 | -12 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 1,789 places |
| 2020 | #33,067 | 743 | 0.25 | +12 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 1,438 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 Kesling 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 | #31,629 | #33,067 | -4.5% |
| Count | 731 | 743 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.25 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kesling bearers went from 731 to 743 (+1.6% change). The surname moved down 1,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,629 to #33,067.
FAQ
Kesling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kesling?
Name Census estimates that about 852 living Americans carry the surname Kesling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 402,294 residents.
How common is Kesling?
Kesling ranks #33,067 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 743 people with the surname Kesling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (852), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Kesling.
Has Kesling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kesling went from 731 recorded bearers to 743. That is an increase of 12 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,629 to #33,067.
What does the Census say about the background of Kesling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kesling, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.1%). 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 Kesling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (707 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kesling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Two or More Races (2.4%), Hispanic (1.1%). 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 Kesling (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 Kesling mean?
Of English origin, meaning a dweller from the settlement or wood of keels or boats. 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 Kesling (0.25 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 have the last name Kesling?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Kesling on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.