2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kessing
A German surname derived from the name "Kesse", meaning "brave" or "bold".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 157 Americans carry the last name Kessing. That puts it at #129,703 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,183,149 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kessing 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
157
1 in 2,183,149
Census rank
#129,703
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
137
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 137 bearers of the surname Kessing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 129703rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kessing, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kessing
The surname Kessing is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Kesse," which refers to a type of small pot or kettle. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as potters or those involved in the pottery trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kessing can be found in the tax records of the city of Cologne, Germany, dating back to the late 1500s. These records mention a certain Hans Kessing, a potter by trade, residing in the city's potters' quarter.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various church registers and municipal documents across various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. Notably, the town of Kessingen, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, may have contributed to the formation of the surname, as it was common for individuals to adopt place names as their family names during that era.
The 18th century saw the rise of a notable Kessing family in the city of Leipzig, where Johann Friedrich Kessing (1697-1771) established a successful pottery business. His son, Christian Gottlob Kessing (1724-1798), continued the family trade and gained recognition for his innovative techniques and high-quality pottery.
In the 19th century, the name Kessing began to spread beyond Germany's borders as individuals migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Carl Kessing (1823-1892), a German-born artist and engraver who settled in New York City and became renowned for his intricate engravings of architectural landmarks.
Another noteworthy figure was Wilhelm Kessing (1860-1931), a German-born entrepreneur who established a successful publishing house in Leipzig, which specialized in legal and academic literature. His son, Otto Kessing (1886-1954), continued the family business and expanded its operations internationally.
As the Kessing family branched out across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Kessinger, Kessin, and Kessinger. However, the core root of the name remained connected to its German heritage and the historical association with the pottery trade.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kessing
Among Census respondents with the surname Kessing, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kessing 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 Kessing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 123
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 4
- Two or more races2.9% · 4
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kessing
Kessing 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+9 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 749 places
2020
#129,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+11 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 4,160 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 749 places |
| 2020 | #129,703 | 137 | 0.05 | +11 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 4,160 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 Kessing 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 | #133,863 | #129,703 | 3.1% |
| Count | 126 | 137 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kessing bearers went from 126 to 137 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 4,160 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #129,703.
FAQ
Kessing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kessing?
Name Census estimates that about 157 living Americans carry the surname Kessing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,183,149 residents.
How common is Kessing?
Kessing ranks #129,703 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 137 people with the surname Kessing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Kessing.
Has Kessing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kessing went from 126 recorded bearers to 137. That is an increase of 11 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #133,863 to #129,703.
What does the Census say about the background of Kessing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kessing, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Kessing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (123 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kessing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Kessing (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 Kessing mean?
A German surname derived from the name "Kesse", meaning "brave" or "bold". 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 Kessing (0.05 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 Kessing?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.