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

Ketzer, 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 Ketzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ketzer in America

Ketzer is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ketzer surname appeared 101 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ketzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ketzer 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 Ketzer

The surname KETZER originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in the areas of modern-day Germany and Switzerland. It is derived from the Middle High German word "ketzer," which means "heretic" or "dissenter."

The earliest known use of the surname KETZER dates back to the 13th century, during the time of the Inquisition and the persecution of religious dissenters. It is believed that the name was initially given to individuals who were accused of heresy or who held beliefs that differed from the established religious doctrines of the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KETZER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Salemitanus, a collection of medieval documents from the Benedictine monastery of Salem in Germany, dated around 1290. The document mentions a certain "Heinricus dictus Ketzer" (Heinrich called Ketzer).

In the 14th century, the surname KETZER appears in the Berner Schießbuch, a historical record of the burghers and citizens of Bern, Switzerland. The name is listed as "Ketzer von Wichtrach," referring to a family from the village of Wichtrach near Bern.

Notable individuals with the surname KETZER throughout history include:

1. Johann Ketzer (c. 1480-1538), a German Protestant reformer and theologian who was a follower of Martin Luther.
2. Hans Ketzer (1492-1554), a Swiss Anabaptist leader and theologian who was persecuted for his religious beliefs.
3. Barbara Ketzer (c. 1520-1583), a German woman who was tried and executed for witchcraft during the Würzburg witch trials.
4. Jakob Ketzer (1642-1713), a Swiss painter and engraver known for his religious and allegorical works.
5. Friedrich Ketzer (1834-1911), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Ketzer & Co. textile manufacturing company in Saxony.

While the surname KETZER originated from a term associated with religious dissent, it has since become a widely recognized surname in German-speaking regions and beyond, with many families bearing this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ketzer

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

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

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

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