2000
#14,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,871
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Kesner
Derived from a Germanic personal name, Ke(s)ner, of uncertain meaning, possibly related to Katherine or an occupational name for a cauldron maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,107 Americans carry the last name Kesner. That puts it at #15,375 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kesner 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
2.1K
1 in 162,674
Census rank
#15,375
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,837 bearers of the surname Kesner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15375th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kesner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kesner
The surname Kesner is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word "kes," which means cheese, suggesting that the name's earliest bearers were likely involved in the production or trade of cheese.
The name Kesner first appeared in historical records in the region of Bavaria, a state in southeastern Germany. It is thought to have originated as a descriptive surname, given to individuals whose occupation or association was related to the cheese industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kesner can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, dating back to the late 1500s. These records document the births, marriages, and deaths of individuals with the surname Kesner within the local community.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name Kesner was Johann Kesner (1605-1672), a German theologian and philosopher from Nuremberg. He authored several influential works on Protestant theology and was widely respected for his contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time.
Another notable bearer of the surname Kesner was Karl Kesner (1771-1848), a German industrialist and entrepreneur from Saxony. He established a successful textile manufacturing business, which played a significant role in the economic development of the region.
As the Kesner family spread across Germany and beyond, variations in the spelling of the name emerged. Some of the alternative spellings include Kessner, Keszner, and Kessener, reflecting regional linguistic differences and the evolution of the surname over time.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Kesner was August Kesner (1825-1897), a German-American artist and painter. Born in Saxony, he emigrated to the United States and became known for his landscape and genre paintings, which captured the beauty and spirit of his adopted country.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the Kesner name was Otto Kesner (1879-1942), a German-born American engineer and inventor. He made significant contributions to the development of early automotive technologies and held several patents for his innovative designs.
While the surname Kesner originated in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who emigrated from their homeland. The name continues to be prevalent in countries with German diaspora communities, serving as a testament to its rich historical and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kesner
Among Census respondents with the surname Kesner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kesner 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 Kesner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 1,679
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 66
- Two or more races2.5% · 46
- Black or African American1.4% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kesner
Kesner 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
#14,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,980
+109 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 353 places
2020
#15,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,837
-143 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 432 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,590 | 1,871 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,943 | 1,980 | 0.67 | +109 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 353 places |
| 2020 | #15,375 | 1,837 | 0.61 | -143 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 432 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 Kesner 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 | #14,943 | #15,375 | -2.9% |
| Count | 1,980 | 1,837 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.61 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kesner bearers went from 1,980 to 1,837 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 432 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,943 to #15,375.
FAQ
Kesner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kesner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,107 living Americans carry the surname Kesner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,674 residents.
How common is Kesner?
Kesner ranks #15,375 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,837 people with the surname Kesner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,107), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Kesner.
Has Kesner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kesner went from 1,980 recorded bearers to 1,837. That is a decrease of 143 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,943 to #15,375.
What does the Census say about the background of Kesner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kesner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Kesner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (1,679 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kesner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Kesner (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 Kesner mean?
Derived from a Germanic personal name, Ke(s)ner, of uncertain meaning, possibly related to Katherine or an occupational name for a cauldron maker. 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 Kesner (0.61 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 Kesner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.