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

Ketter, 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 Ketter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ketter in America

Ketter is the 11592nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ketter surname appeared 2,709 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ketter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ketter 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 Ketter

The surname Ketter has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "ketzer," which means "heretic" and was used to refer to those who deviated from the accepted religious beliefs of the time.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Ketter can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, where a certain Johann Ketter is mentioned in 1283. This suggests that the name may have originated in the Franconian region of Germany.

During the Middle Ages, the Ketter name was often associated with religious dissidents and those who challenged the authority of the Catholic Church. In some cases, the name may have been given as a derogatory term to those who were accused of heresy.

One notable individual bearing the Ketter surname was Hans Ketter, a German theologian and reformer who lived in the 15th century. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther and played a role in the early stages of the Protestant Reformation.

In the 16th century, the name Ketter appears in the records of the town of Cologne, where a family by that name was involved in the textile trade. This suggests that the surname may have also been adopted by those engaged in certain professions.

Another notable Ketter was Johann Ketter, a German painter and engraver who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his religious artwork and his contributions to the development of printmaking techniques.

The Ketter surname also made its way to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Ketter" or "Keuter." One example is Pieter Ketter, a Dutch merchant and explorer who traveled to the East Indies in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name Ketter appeared in the records of the town of Aachen, where a family by that name owned a successful brewery. This suggests that the surname had become associated with various trades and professions over time.

Throughout its history, the Ketter surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including religious figures, artists, merchants, and tradesmen. While its origins may have been tied to religious dissent, the name has evolved and taken on new meanings over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ketter

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

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

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

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