2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ketteler
German surname derived from Middle Low German 'kettelere' meaning kettle maker or worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Ketteler. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ketteler 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Ketteler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketteler, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ketteler
The surname Ketteler has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "ketelære," which means "kettle maker" or "boiler maker," suggesting that the name was originally an occupational surname for someone who made kettles or boiled water for a living.
The name can be traced back to the 14th century, when it was recorded in various German regions, including the Rhineland and Westphalia. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name is in the Werdener Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Werden, dated 1375.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in the town of Ketteler, near Dortmund, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname. This town's name is believed to be derived from the Old German word "ketil," meaning "kettle," further reinforcing the occupational origins of the surname.
One notable historical figure with the surname Ketteler was Wilhelm Emmanuel von Ketteler (1811-1877), a German bishop and social reformer who advocated for workers' rights and the establishment of Catholic trade unions. He is considered a pioneer of Catholic social teaching and was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1966.
Another prominent individual was Clemens von Ketteler (1853-1900), a German colonial administrator who served as the first governor of German East Africa (modern-day Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda) from 1891 to 1900.
In the 16th century, the Ketteler family gained prominence in the Rhineland region, with several members holding important positions in the Catholic Church and local government. One such individual was Johann von Ketteler (1535-1599), who served as the Prince-Bishop of Münster from 1579 to 1599.
The surname Ketteler has also been associated with various places and regions throughout Germany, such as the town of Kettelerbach in Rhineland-Palatinate and the Kettelersmühle, a historic mill located in the town of Wenden, North Rhine-Westphalia.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Kettler, Keddeler, and Keddler, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic changes. Despite these variations, the name has retained its connection to its occupational origins and its deep roots in German history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ketteler
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketteler, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ketteler 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 Ketteler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ketteler
Ketteler 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-20 bearers (-16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 30,093 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+8 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,507 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.5%) | Down 30,093 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.9%) | Up 9,507 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 Ketteler 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 | #159,712 | #150,205 | 6.0% |
| Count | 101 | 109 | 7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ketteler bearers went from 101 to 109 (+7.9% change). The surname moved up 9,507 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #150,205.
FAQ
Ketteler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ketteler?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Ketteler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Ketteler?
Ketteler ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Ketteler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ketteler.
Has Ketteler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ketteler went from 101 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 8 (+7.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Ketteler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketteler, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Ketteler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ketteler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Hispanic (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Ketteler (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 Ketteler mean?
German surname derived from Middle Low German 'kettelere' meaning kettle maker or worker. 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 Ketteler (0.04 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 share the surname Ketteler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.