2000
#14,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,814
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Kiehl
A surname derived from a German word meaning "wedge" or "bolt".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,235 Americans carry the last name Kiehl. That puts it at #14,663 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 153,358 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kiehl 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
2.2K
1 in 153,358
Census rank
#14,663
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,949 bearers of the surname Kiehl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14663rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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Historical documents from the 18th century mention a notable figure named Johann Kiehl (1715-1789), who was a master shipbuilder in the city of Hamburg.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kiehl
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kiehl 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 Kiehl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 1,826
- Two or more races2.6% · 50
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kiehl
Kiehl 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
#15,406
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,902
+88 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 455 places
2020
#14,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,949
+47 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 743 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,951 | 1,814 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,406 | 1,902 | 0.64 | +88 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 455 places |
| 2020 | #14,663 | 1,949 | 0.65 | +47 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 743 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 Kiehl 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 | #15,406 | #14,663 | 4.8% |
| Count | 1,902 | 1,949 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.65 | 1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kiehl bearers went from 1,902 to 1,949 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 743 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,406 to #14,663.
FAQ
Kiehl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kiehl?
Name Census estimates that about 2,235 living Americans carry the surname Kiehl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 153,358 residents.
How common is Kiehl?
Kiehl ranks #14,663 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,949 people with the surname Kiehl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,235), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kiehl.
Has Kiehl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kiehl went from 1,902 recorded bearers to 1,949. That is an increase of 47 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,406 to #14,663.
What does the Census say about the background of Kiehl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Kiehl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (1,826 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kiehl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Kiehl (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 Kiehl mean?
A surname derived from a German word meaning "wedge" or "bolt". 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 Kiehl (0.65 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 are called Kiehl?
Find out how many people have the surname Kiehl on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.