2000
#12,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,266
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Kettler
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or repairer of copper or brass kettles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,468 Americans carry the last name Kettler. That puts it at #13,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kettler 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
2.5K
1 in 138,879
Census rank
#13,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,152 bearers of the surname Kettler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kettler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kettler
Among Census respondents with the surname Kettler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kettler 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 Kettler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 1,994
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 57
- Two or more races2.1% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 26
- Black or African American0.8% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kettler
Kettler 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
#9,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,424
+1,158 bearers (+51.1%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 3,047 places
2020
#13,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,152
-1,272 bearers (-37.1%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 4,016 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,542 | 2,266 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,495 | 3,424 | 1.16 | +1,158 bearers (+51.1%) | Up 3,047 places |
| 2020 | #13,511 | 2,152 | 0.72 | -1,272 bearers (-37.1%) | Down 4,016 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 Kettler 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 | #9,495 | #13,511 | -42.3% |
| Count | 3,424 | 2,152 | -37.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 0.72 | -37.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kettler bearers went from 3,424 to 2,152 (-37.1% change). The surname moved down 4,016 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,495 to #13,511.
FAQ
Kettler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kettler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,468 living Americans carry the surname Kettler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,879 residents.
How common is Kettler?
Kettler ranks #13,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,152 people with the surname Kettler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,468), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Kettler.
Has Kettler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kettler went from 3,424 recorded bearers to 2,152. That is a decrease of 1,272 (-37.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,495 to #13,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Kettler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kettler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Kettler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (1,994 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kettler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Kettler (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 Kettler mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or repairer of copper or brass kettles. 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 Kettler (0.72 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 Kettler?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Kettler is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.