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

Kestler, 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 Kestler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kestler in America

Kestler is the 24339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kestler surname appeared 1,030 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 Kestler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kestler 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 Kestler

The surname Kestler is of German origin, derived from the Old German word "Kastler," which refers to a person who lived near or worked at a castle. The name can be traced back to the 12th century in regions of modern-day Germany and Austria.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kestler is found in the Bavarian town of Landshut, where a certain Heinrich Kestler was documented as a resident in the year 1327. During this period, the name was often spelled as "Kestler" or "Kesteler."

In the 15th century, the Kestler family established itself in the city of Nuremberg, where they were involved in the metalworking industry. Johannes Kestler (1460-1528), a renowned blacksmith and armorer, is considered one of the most notable bearers of this surname during this era.

The name Kestler also appears in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the "Stadtbücher" (city books) of Augsburg, where several individuals with this surname were mentioned as citizens and craftsmen.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Kestler family settled in the region of Swabia, in southwestern Germany. One notable member from this time was Gottlieb Kestler (1718-1792), a Lutheran theologian and author who wrote several influential works on religious doctrine.

As the Kestler family spread across different parts of Germany and Austria, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, including "Kestler," "Kästler," and "Kästner." In the 19th century, Johann Georg Kestler (1805-1871), a German astronomer and mathematician, made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

Another notable figure with the surname Kestler was the German-American writer and poet Charles Kestler (1891-1978), who was born in Bavaria and later immigrated to the United States, where he became renowned for his literary works.

Throughout history, the surname Kestler has been associated with various professions, including metalworkers, theologians, scientists, and writers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kestler

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

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

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

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