2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kiehlmeier
An occupational surname derived from the German words for "cellar" and "master," likely referring to a cellar master or beer brewer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Kiehlmeier. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kiehlmeier 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Kiehlmeier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiehlmeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kiehlmeier
The surname KIEHLMEIER originated in Germany, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Kiel," which means "keel" or "ship's keel," and the word "Meier," which means "steward" or "bailiff." This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who worked as a steward or overseer on ships or in the maritime industry.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname KIEHLMEIER can be traced back to the regions of northern Germany, particularly around the port cities along the Baltic Sea coast. The name may have originated as a descriptive term for an individual's occupation or as a reference to a specific location.
In historical records, the name KIEHLMEIER appears in various forms, such as Kielmeier, Kielmeyer, and Kiehlmeyer, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and towns in Northern Europe.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname KIEHLMEIER include:
1. Johann Christoph Friedrich KIEHLMEIER (1732-1805), a German theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy.
2. Anna Elisabeth KIEHLMEIER (1789-1862), a German writer and poet known for her contributions to the Romantic literary movement.
3. Wilhelm KIEHLMEIER (1848-1923), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the KIEHLMEIER Manufacturing Company, which produced agricultural machinery and equipment.
4. Eva KIEHLMEIER (1901-1987), a German artist and painter renowned for her landscapes and portraits, which reflected the Expressionist style.
5. Hans KIEHLMEIER (1927-2003), a German historian and scholar who specialized in the study of the Hanseatic League and its impact on the economic and cultural development of Northern Europe.
While the surname KIEHLMEIER may have originated in a specific geographic region or occupation, it has since spread across Germany and other parts of Europe, with families bearing this name contributing to various fields and professions throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kiehlmeier
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiehlmeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kiehlmeier 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 Kiehlmeier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kiehlmeier
Kiehlmeier 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-12 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,089 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,262 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 21,089 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 7,262 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 Kiehlmeier 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 | #151,532 | #144,270 | 4.8% |
| Count | 108 | 117 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kiehlmeier bearers went from 108 to 117 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 7,262 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #144,270.
FAQ
Kiehlmeier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kiehlmeier?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Kiehlmeier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Kiehlmeier?
Kiehlmeier ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Kiehlmeier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kiehlmeier.
Has Kiehlmeier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kiehlmeier went from 108 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 9 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Kiehlmeier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiehlmeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Kiehlmeier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kiehlmeier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (6.0%), Black (0.9%). 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 Kiehlmeier (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 Kiehlmeier mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German words for "cellar" and "master," likely referring to a cellar master or beer brewer. 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 Kiehlmeier (0.04 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 common is the surname Kiehlmeier?
Want to know how many people have the last name Kiehlmeier? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.