2000
#5,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,527
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.05
Rare Last name
Kibler
Derived from the German word "kübler," an occupational surname for a cooper or barrel maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,143 Americans carry the last name Kibler. That puts it at #6,131 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,796 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kibler 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
6.1K
1 in 55,796
Census rank
#6,131
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,357 bearers of the surname Kibler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6131st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kibler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kibler
The surname Kibler has its origins in Germany, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "kübler," which means "cooper" or "barrel maker." This occupational surname was initially given to individuals who were involved in the craft of making barrels, casks, and other wooden containers.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kibler can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, there are references to individuals with the surname Kibler dating back to the late 13th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Kibler surname was Hans Kibler, a cooper who lived in the town of Freiburg im Breisgau, in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in the late 15th century. Historical records from the city archives mention his name in connection with his trade.
In the 16th century, the Kibler surname appeared in various regions of Germany, particularly in areas known for their wine production, where the demand for barrels and casks was high. One notable individual from this period was Johann Kibler, a master cooper from Würzburg, who was renowned for his craftsmanship and received commissions from local wineries and breweries.
As the surname spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Kübler, Kuebler, and Kiebler. One prominent figure bearing this name was Johann Friedrich Kübler, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1707 to 1782. He was a professor at the University of Tübingen and published several influential works on theology and philosophy.
In the 19th century, the Kibler surname found its way to other parts of the world, including North America, as German immigrants sought new opportunities. One notable individual from this era was Joseph Kibler, who was born in Alsace-Lorraine, France, in 1849 and later immigrated to the United States. He became a successful businessman and philanthropist in the state of Ohio.
Another significant figure with the Kibler surname was Max Kibler, a German-American artist and sculptor who lived from 1876 to 1935. He was known for his bronze sculptures and worked on various public commissions in cities across the United States.
Overall, the surname Kibler has a rich history rooted in the ancient craft of coopering and barrel-making. Its prevalence in different regions of Germany and its subsequent spread to other parts of the world reflect the migration patterns and diverse experiences of those who bore this name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kibler
Among Census respondents with the surname Kibler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kibler 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 Kibler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 4,682
- Black or African American5.8% · 311
- Two or more races3.8% · 201
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kibler
Kibler 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
#5,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,849
+322 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.98
Rank movement Down 161 places
2020
#6,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,357
-492 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Down 231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,739 | 5,527 | 2.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,900 | 5,849 | 1.98 | +322 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 161 places |
| 2020 | #6,131 | 5,357 | 1.79 | -492 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 231 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 Kibler 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 | #5,900 | #6,131 | -3.9% |
| Count | 5,849 | 5,357 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.98 | 1.79 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kibler bearers went from 5,849 to 5,357 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 231 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,900 to #6,131.
FAQ
Kibler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kibler?
Name Census estimates that about 6,143 living Americans carry the surname Kibler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,796 residents.
How common is Kibler?
Kibler ranks #6,131 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,357 people with the surname Kibler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,143), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Kibler.
Has Kibler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kibler went from 5,849 recorded bearers to 5,357. That is a decrease of 492 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,900 to #6,131.
What does the Census say about the background of Kibler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kibler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Kibler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (4,682 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kibler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Black (5.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Kibler (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 Kibler mean?
Derived from the German word "kübler," an occupational surname for a cooper or barrel maker. 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 Kibler (1.79 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 have the last name Kibler?
Find out how common the surname Kibler is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.