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

Kieffer, 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 Kieffer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kieffer in America

Kieffer is the 5241st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kieffer surname appeared 6,656 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Kieffer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kieffer 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 Kieffer

The surname Kieffer originated in Germany, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "kuofer," which means "cooper" or "barrel maker." The Kieffer name is thought to have originated as an occupational surname for those who made or sold wooden barrels and casks.

In medieval times, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Küfer, Kyffer, and Kiefer. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from the city of Cologne, dated 1275, which mentions a "Johannes Kieffer."

The Kieffer surname is particularly associated with the Rhineland region of Germany, where many families with this name lived for centuries. In the 16th century, a prominent Kieffer family resided in the town of Boppard, and their name appears in local records from that era.

One notable individual with the Kieffer name was Johann Kieffer (1616-1689), a German author and educator who wrote several books on philosophy and theology. He was born in Worms and served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg.

Another historical figure with this surname was Peter Kieffer (1790-1858), a German-American farmer and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 1830s. He was born in Bingen, Germany, and immigrated to the United States in 1819.

In the 19th century, the Kieffer name became more widespread in France, particularly in the Alsace region, which had been part of Germany until the late 17th century. One notable French Kieffer was Auguste Kieffer (1857-1925), a renowned mycologist and botanist who studied fungi and published numerous works on the subject.

Another individual of note was Victor Kieffer (1898-1988), a French architect and urban planner who was influential in the development of modern urban planning concepts. He was born in Strasbourg and worked on various projects in France and abroad.

Finally, a more recent figure with the Kieffer surname was John Kieffer (1933-2021), an American businessman and philanthropist. He was born in Philadelphia and made his fortune in the telecommunications industry, later becoming a prominent donor to various educational and cultural institutions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kieffer

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

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

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

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