2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ketterl
A German surname derived from the word "Ketel" meaning "kettle" or "cauldron".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Ketterl. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ketterl 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Ketterl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketterl, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ketterl
The surname KETTERL originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the German word "Kettel," which refers to a small cauldron or kettle, suggesting that the original bearer of this surname may have been involved in metalworking or a related craft.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KETTERL surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, where a certain Hans Ketterl was mentioned in 1532. Another early reference is from the town of Ulm, where a Johannes Ketterl was listed in the municipal records in 1546.
The KETTERL surname is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, before spreading to other parts of the country and neighboring regions. Variations in spelling, such as Ketterle and Ketterlein, were also common in different areas.
Historically, the KETTERL name has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Johann Ketterl (1677-1744), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar. Another was Christoph Ketterl (1738-1810), a renowned clockmaker from Augsburg whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by European nobility.
In the 19th century, a family of KETTERL gunsmiths gained prominence in the town of Suhl, Thuringia, which was a center for firearms manufacturing. Friedrich Ketterl (1812-1885) and his son, August Ketterl (1842-1917), were renowned for their skillfully crafted hunting rifles and shotguns.
Another noteworthy individual was the writer and journalist Max Ketterl (1871-1943), who was born in Munich and gained recognition for his satirical works and social criticism during the Weimar Republic era.
The KETTERL surname has also been associated with various place names and localities throughout Germany. For instance, the village of Ketterl in the district of Rosenheim, Bavaria, likely derived its name from the presence of KETTERL families in the area.
While the KETTERL surname is relatively uncommon compared to some other German surnames, it continues to hold historical significance and connections to various trades, professions, and regions within Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ketterl
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketterl, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ketterl 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 Ketterl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 109
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ketterl
Ketterl appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+7 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,548 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.6%) | Up 6,548 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 Ketterl 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 | #153,769 | #147,221 | 4.3% |
| Count | 106 | 113 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ketterl bearers went from 106 to 113 (+6.6% change). The surname moved up 6,548 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #147,221.
FAQ
Ketterl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ketterl?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Ketterl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Ketterl?
Ketterl ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Ketterl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Ketterl.
Has Ketterl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ketterl went from 106 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 7 (+6.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Ketterl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ketterl, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Ketterl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ketterl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Ketterl (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 Ketterl mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Ketel" meaning "kettle" or "cauldron". 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 Ketterl (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 are called Ketterl?
See how common the surname Ketterl is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.