2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kielsmeier
A surname derived from a place name, likely of German origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Kielsmeier. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kielsmeier 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Kielsmeier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kielsmeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kielsmeier
The surname "Kielsmeier" is of German origin and can be traced back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around the city of Hamburg. The name is a combination of two German words, "Kiel" and "Meier," which together translate to "farm manager" or "estate overseer."
The first recorded instance of the name "Kielsmeier" can be found in the church records of St. Petri in Hamburg, dating back to 1532. The entry mentions a man named Hans Kielsmeier, who was a farmer and landowner in the nearby village of Eppendorf. This early reference suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals involved in agricultural pursuits and land management.
As the name spread across Germany, it underwent several variations in spelling, including "Kielsmeyer," "Kielsmair," and "Kielsmyer." These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations. In the 17th century, the name appeared in various official documents and records, such as tax registers and property deeds, in cities like Hamburg, Bremen, and Lübeck.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname "Kielsmeier" was Johannes Kielsmeier, a German theologian and author who lived from 1616 to 1683. He was known for his work on Lutheran theology and his contributions to the religious literature of the time. Another prominent individual was Carl Wilhelm Kielsmeier, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1764 to 1835. His works were exhibited in several galleries across Europe, and he gained recognition for his landscapes and portraiture.
In the 19th century, the name "Kielsmeier" gained further recognition with the birth of Wilhelm Kielsmeier (1818-1899), a German businessman and industrialist. He founded the Kielsmeier Iron Works in Cologne, which played a significant role in the region's industrial development during that period.
Other notable individuals with the "Kielsmeier" surname include Gerhard Kielsmeier (1905-1978), a German architect known for his designs of public buildings and residential complexes, and Erich Kielsmeier (1922-2003), a German politician and member of the Bundestag, the German federal parliament.
Throughout its history, the surname "Kielsmeier" has maintained a strong connection to its German roots and has been associated with various professions, from agriculture and land management to industry, arts, and politics. While the name may have undergone minor spelling variations over time, its core meaning and significance have remained largely unchanged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kielsmeier
Among Census respondents with the surname Kielsmeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kielsmeier 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 Kielsmeier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 100
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kielsmeier
Kielsmeier appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 3,972 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 Kielsmeier 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 | #154,907 | #150,935 | 2.6% |
| Count | 105 | 108 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kielsmeier bearers went from 105 to 108 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 3,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #150,935.
FAQ
Kielsmeier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kielsmeier?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Kielsmeier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Kielsmeier?
Kielsmeier ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Kielsmeier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Kielsmeier.
Has Kielsmeier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kielsmeier went from 105 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Kielsmeier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kielsmeier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Kielsmeier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kielsmeier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Kielsmeier (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 Kielsmeier mean?
A surname derived from a place name, likely of German origin. 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 Kielsmeier (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 many people have the surname Kielsmeier?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.