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

Kiehl, 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 Kiehl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kiehl in America

Kiehl is the 15406th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kiehl surname appeared 1,902 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kiehl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kiehl 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 Kiehl

The surname Kiehl originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "kiel," which referred to a small boat or ship. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with maritime or fishing occupations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kiehl name can be found in the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, in the year 1534. Records indicate that a certain Hans Kiehl was a respected shipwright and boat builder in the region during that time.

In the late 17th century, the Kiehl surname spread to various parts of Germany, particularly in the northern regions near the North Sea and Baltic coasts. This geographic distribution aligns with the maritime connotations of the name's origin.

Historical documents from the 18th century mention a notable figure named Johann Kiehl (1715-1789), who was a master shipbuilder in the city of Hamburg. His craftsmanship and contributions to the local shipbuilding industry were widely recognized during his lifetime.

The Kiehl name also found its way into the realm of academia and education. In the early 19th century, a renowned scholar and linguist named Friedrich Kiehl (1801-1867) gained recognition for his groundbreaking work on Germanic languages and dialects.

Another significant individual bearing the Kiehl surname was Karl Kiehl (1854-1927), a prominent German architect who designed several iconic buildings in Berlin and other cities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, including Kiel, Kiehl, Kühle, and Kühle, reflecting regional dialects and pronunciation differences.

While the surname Kiehl may have originated from maritime roots, over the centuries, it has been associated with individuals from diverse professions and backgrounds, reflecting the rich tapestry of German history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kiehl

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!