2000
#15,110
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,791
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Ketner
Derived from the German occupational name Kötner, referring to a person who lived in a small cottage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,963 Americans carry the last name Ketner. That puts it at #16,318 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 174,607 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ketner 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
2.0K
1 in 174,607
Census rank
#16,318
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,712 bearers of the surname Ketner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16318th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ketner
The surname Ketner is believed to have originated in Germany, with records indicating its presence in various regions of the country as early as the 16th century. One of the earliest documented mentions of the name can be traced back to a village called Kettenheim, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is possible that the surname Ketner derived from this place name, with the suffix "-er" indicating an association with or origin from Kettenheim.
Another theory suggests that the name Ketner may have its roots in the German word "Kette," which means chain or fetter, potentially indicating an occupation or trade related to metalworking or blacksmithing. This association could have led to the surname being adopted by individuals engaged in such professions.
In the 18th century, records show a Ketner family residing in the town of Altenburg, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. One notable individual from this family was Johann Friedrich Ketner, a renowned theologian and philosopher who lived from 1720 to 1788. His works on moral philosophy and ethics were widely studied and influential during his time.
Moving into the 19th century, the Ketner surname appears to have spread across various regions of Germany and neighboring countries. In 1832, a man named Wilhelm Ketner was born in the city of Cologne, and he later became a respected academic and author, publishing several books on literature and linguistics.
Across the Atlantic, the earliest known record of the Ketner surname in the United States dates back to the late 18th century, when a family of Ketners settled in Pennsylvania. One of their descendants, Henry Ketner, born in 1842, went on to become a prominent figure in the field of education, serving as the president of a prestigious college in the state.
Another notable individual with the surname Ketner was Maria Ketner, a German artist and sculptor who lived from 1876 to 1954. Her works, which often depicted scenes from everyday life, were widely acclaimed and can be found in several museums and art galleries across Europe.
While the surname Ketner may have its origins in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with families bearing this name contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on history through their accomplishments and contributions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ketner
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ketner 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 Ketner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 1,550
- Two or more races4.8% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 33
- Black or African American0.9% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ketner
Ketner 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
#11,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,715
+924 bearers (+51.6%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 3,532 places
2020
#16,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,712
-1,003 bearers (-36.9%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Down 4,740 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,110 | 1,791 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,578 | 2,715 | 0.92 | +924 bearers (+51.6%) | Up 3,532 places |
| 2020 | #16,318 | 1,712 | 0.57 | -1,003 bearers (-36.9%) | Down 4,740 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 Ketner 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 | #11,578 | #16,318 | -40.9% |
| Count | 2,715 | 1,712 | -36.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.92 | 0.57 | -37.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ketner bearers went from 2,715 to 1,712 (-36.9% change). The surname moved down 4,740 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,578 to #16,318.
FAQ
Ketner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ketner?
Name Census estimates that about 1,963 living Americans carry the surname Ketner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 174,607 residents.
How common is Ketner?
Ketner ranks #16,318 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.57 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 1,712 people with the surname Ketner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,963), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.57 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 Ketner.
Has Ketner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ketner went from 2,715 recorded bearers to 1,712. That is a decrease of 1,003 (-36.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,578 to #16,318.
What does the Census say about the background of Ketner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Ketner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (1,550 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ketner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Ketner (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 Ketner mean?
Derived from the German occupational name Kötner, referring to a person who lived in a small cottage. 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 Ketner (0.57 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 Ketner?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Ketner is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.