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

Kiger, 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 Kiger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kiger in America

Kiger is the 7429th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kiger surname appeared 4,484 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Kiger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kiger 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 Kiger

The surname Kiger is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Küger," which means "cooper" or "barrel-maker." This connection suggests that the name was initially an occupational surname, given to those who specialized in the craft of making barrels and other wooden containers.

In the late 16th century, a family with the surname Kiger was recorded in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the region of Franconia, Bavaria. This particular branch of the Kiger family was known for their skill in coopering, and their name became closely associated with the trade.

One of the earliest known records of the Kiger surname appears in a 1592 manuscript from the Rothenburg town archives, which mentions a certain Hans Kiger, a master cooper. This document provides valuable insight into the origins and early history of the Kiger family.

As the years passed, the Kiger name spread across various regions of Germany, with families bearing the surname settling in different areas. In the 18th century, a notable individual named Johann Kiger (1712-1789) was recorded as a respected cooper and guild member in the city of Nuremberg.

During the 19th century, the Kiger surname began to appear in historical records outside of Germany, as some families emigrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One such individual was Wilhelm Kiger (1825-1901), who left his hometown of Stuttgart and settled in Pennsylvania, United States, where he established a successful cooperage business.

Another prominent figure with the Kiger surname was Karl Kiger (1861-1935), a German inventor and engineer who patented several innovative designs for barrel-making machinery. His contributions helped modernize and streamline the coopering industry in Germany and beyond.

As the Kiger family dispersed across different regions, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged. Some alternative spellings included Küger, Kuger, and Kugger, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the areas where the families resided.

While the Kiger surname is not among the most common surnames today, it retains a rich heritage and a storied past, with its roots firmly grounded in the ancient craft of coopering and barrel-making in Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kiger

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

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

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

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