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

Kifer, 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 Kifer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kifer in America

Kifer is the 17596th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kifer surname appeared 1,597 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 Kifer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kifer 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 Kifer

The surname Kifer originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Küfer," which means "cooper" or "barrel maker." This occupational surname suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were involved in the cooper's trade, crafting wooden barrels and casks.

The earliest known record of the Kifer surname can be found in the town of Worms, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. In a registry from 1572, a certain Hans Kifer was listed as a resident of the town, plying his trade as a cooper.

As the Kifer family spread across different regions of Germany, variations in spelling emerged, such as Kuefer, Kyfer, and Küfer. These spelling variations often reflected local dialects and the preferences of town scribes who recorded the names.

One notable bearer of the Kifer surname was Johann Kifer, born in 1685 in the town of Heidelberg. He was a respected cooper and guild master, contributing to the town's thriving trade in wine and beer barrels.

In the 18th century, the Kifer surname made its way to America, carried by German immigrants seeking new opportunities. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Peter Kifer, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1732, fleeing religious persecution in his homeland.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Wilhelm Kifer, born in 1801 in the village of Bingen, Germany. He was a skilled cooper who later emigrated to the United States in 1845, settling in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he established a successful cooperage business.

As the Kifer family continued to grow and disperse across different regions, the name took on various forms, including Keifer, Kypher, and Kiefer. These variations often reflected the local pronunciations and spellings adopted by different branches of the family.

Throughout history, the Kifer surname has been associated with the cooper's trade, a skilled craft that played a vital role in the transportation and storage of goods, particularly in the wine and beer industries. While the name may have evolved in spelling, its origins remain firmly rooted in the occupational heritage of barrel making.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kifer

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

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

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

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