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

Kicklighter, 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 Kicklighter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kicklighter in America

Kicklighter is the 18994th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kicklighter surname appeared 1,435 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 Kicklighter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kicklighter 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 Kicklighter

The surname Kicklighter is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the early 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the German word "kicklicht," which refers to a type of candlestick or lantern. This could suggest that the name may have been originally associated with a profession or trade involving the making or usage of these lighting devices.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town of Wuppertal, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In 1532, a record mentions a certain Hans Kicklicht, who was likely the progenitor of the Kicklighter surname. The name's spelling evolved over time, with variations such as Kicklighter, Kicklichter, and Kichlighter appearing in various historical documents.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Kicklighter name spread beyond Germany, with some families migrating to neighboring countries like the Netherlands and France. Records from this period indicate that the name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Rhineland and Westphalia.

One notable figure with the surname Kicklighter was Johann Christoph Kicklighter, a German clockmaker and inventor who lived from 1685 to 1757. He is credited with developing several innovative designs for timepieces and is considered a pioneering figure in the field of horology.

As the Kicklighter family continued to expand and disperse across Europe, some members eventually made their way to the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America can be traced back to Peter Kicklighter, who was born in 1772 in the town of Darmstadt, Germany, and later immigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 19th century.

Another prominent individual with the Kicklighter surname was Sarah Kicklighter, an American author and poet who lived from 1856 to 1928. Her works, which often explored themes of nature and spirituality, gained widespread recognition during her lifetime and are still studied and appreciated today.

Other notable figures with the Kicklighter surname include Wilhelm Kicklighter (1801-1879), a German philosopher and educator known for his contributions to the field of pedagogy, and James Kicklighter (1912-1985), an American artist whose paintings and sculptures captured the essence of rural life in the American South.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kicklighter

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

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

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

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