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

Kienzle, 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 Kienzle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kienzle in America

Kienzle is the 22770th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kienzle surname appeared 1,125 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kienzle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kienzle 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 Kienzle

The surname Kienzle is of German origin, originating in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Baden and Württemberg. It likely emerged during the late Middle Ages, between the 13th and 15th centuries.

The name Kienzle is derived from the German word "Kienholz," which refers to a type of highly resinous pinewood used for making torches or kindling. This suggests that the name may have originated as an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked with or produced kienholz, perhaps a forester or a maker of torches or kindling.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kienzle can be found in the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Württemberg, dating back to the 14th century. The name is mentioned in a document from 1372, referring to a certain Heinrich Kienzle from the town of Weingarten.

Another notable early reference to the name comes from the Rothenburger Achtbuch, a legal record from the Imperial City of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which dates back to the late 15th century. In this document, a man named Hans Kienzle is mentioned in relation to a legal dispute from the year 1492.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kienzle was Johann Kienzle (c. 1520-1590), a Protestant theologian and reformer from the town of Weil der Stadt in Württemberg. He played a significant role in the spread of the Protestant Reformation in the region.

Another notable figure was Georg Kienzle (1665-1722), a German painter and engraver from Augsburg, known for his religious paintings and engravings, which can be found in various churches and museums throughout southern Germany.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Kienzle was Johann Kienzle (1810-1891), a German clockmaker from the town of Schwenningen in Baden. He founded the Kienzle Uhrenfabrik, which became one of the largest clock and watch manufacturers in Germany.

Another significant individual was the German philosopher and theologian Clemens Kienzle (1868-1947), who taught at the University of Freiburg and made important contributions to the field of phenomenology and the philosophy of religion.

During the early 20th century, a notable figure was the German engineer and inventor Gustav Kienzle (1878-1951), who is credited with developing the first fully automatic mechanical parking meter, which was patented in 1935 and widely used in various cities across Europe and North America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kienzle

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

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

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

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