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

Kessner, 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 Kessner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kessner in America

Kessner is the 41303rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kessner surname appeared 527 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 Kessner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kessner 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 Kessner

The surname Kessner is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. The name is believed to have derived from the German word "Kesse," which translates to "kettle" or "cauldron." This suggests that the surname may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the metalworking trade or those who produced kettles and cauldrons.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Kessner can be found in various historical documents from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony in Germany. One notable mention appears in the "Urkundenbuch der Stadt und Landschaft Zürich," a collection of records from the city and region of Zurich, Switzerland, dating back to the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname Kessner was Johann Kessner, a German clergyman and theologian born in Nuremberg in 1533. He served as a pastor and was known for his extensive writings on theological subjects.

Another historical figure associated with the surname Kessner was Wilhelm Kessner, a German painter and engraver who lived in the 17th century. Born in Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) in 1624, he gained recognition for his landscape paintings and engravings depicting scenes from the region.

Moving forward to the 18th century, Georg Kessner, a German composer and organist born in 1718, made significant contributions to the music scene of his time. He served as the organist at various churches in Saxony and composed numerous works for organ and other instruments.

In the 19th century, Karl Kessner, a German politician and lawyer, played a notable role in the political landscape. Born in 1823 in Darmstadt, he served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and advocated for liberal reforms.

While the surname Kessner has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. Variations in spelling, such as Kessner, Kessener, and Kessler, can also be found in various regions, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kessner

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

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

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

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