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

Kettler, 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 Kettler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kettler in America

Kettler is the 9495th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kettler surname appeared 3,424 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 Kettler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kettler 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 Kettler

The surname Kettler is of German origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Old German word "ketil" or "ketel," which means "kettle" or "cauldron." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who worked as a maker or seller of kettles or other metal vessels.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kettler can be found in the town of Soest, in the region of Westphalia, Germany, in the late 14th century. The name was also present in other parts of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony, during this time period.

In the 16th century, the name Kettler appears in historical records related to the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a former duchy in present-day Latvia. Heinrich Kettler (1535-1587) was the last Master of the Livonian Order and the first Duke of Courland and Semigallia.

Another notable individual with the surname Kettler was Johann Kettler (1598-1638), the son of Duke Friedrich Kettler (1569-1642) and the third Duke of Courland and Semigallia. He played a significant role in the history of the Duchy during the Polish-Swedish War.

The Kettler family had a strong presence in the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, and several members held important positions within the duchy's administration and military.

In the 18th century, the name Kettler can be found in various regions of Germany, including the towns of Erfurt, Nuremberg, and Hanover. Some variations in the spelling of the name include Ketteler, Kettler, and Kethler.

Other notable individuals with the surname Kettler include Wilhelm Kettler (1813-1892), a German landscape painter, and Wilhelm Emmanuel Ketteler (1811-1877), a German bishop and social reformer who advocated for the rights of workers and the poor.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kettler

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

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

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

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