2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kilchenstein
A German topographic surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the town of Kilchenstein.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Kilchenstein. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kilchenstein 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Kilchenstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kilchenstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kilchenstein
The surname KILCHENSTEIN is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German words "kiln" meaning kiln or furnace, and "stein" meaning stone, suggesting a possible connection to an occupation involving kilns or stonework.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KILCHENSTEIN can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. In this text, a certain "Henricus de Kilchenstein" is mentioned as a landowner in the region.
In the 14th century, the KILCHENSTEIN name appears in several records from various parts of Germany, such as the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of documents from the region of Württemberg. This suggests that the name had spread across different areas by this time.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure with the KILCHENSTEIN surname was Johannes KILCHENSTEIN (1511-1576), a German scholar and theologian who was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation. He authored several works on theology and actively participated in religious debates of the time.
Another historical figure bearing the KILCHENSTEIN name was Hans KILCHENSTEIN (1562-1632), a German military commander who served in the Thirty Years' War. He is known for his leadership in several battles against Swedish and Danish forces.
In the 18th century, a prominent KILCHENSTEIN was Maria KILCHENSTEIN (1727-1794), a German poet and writer who was part of the literary circle in Weimar, alongside prominent figures like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller.
The KILCHENSTEIN name has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Kilchenstein, a village in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, which may have contributed to the surname's origin and spread.
While the KILCHENSTEIN surname is not among the most common surnames today, its historical roots and associations with notable figures and places reflect its enduring legacy and connection to German heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kilchenstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Kilchenstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kilchenstein 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 Kilchenstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kilchenstein
Kilchenstein 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-14 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,328 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-11 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 20,328 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 10,231 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 Kilchenstein 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 | #142,108 | #152,339 | -7.2% |
| Count | 117 | 106 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kilchenstein bearers went from 117 to 106 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 10,231 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #152,339.
FAQ
Kilchenstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kilchenstein?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Kilchenstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Kilchenstein?
Kilchenstein ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Kilchenstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Kilchenstein.
Has Kilchenstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kilchenstein went from 117 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Kilchenstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kilchenstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (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 Kilchenstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kilchenstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Hispanic (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 Kilchenstein (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 Kilchenstein mean?
A German topographic surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the town of Kilchenstein. 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 Kilchenstein (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 last name Kilchenstein?
Want to know how many people have the last name Kilchenstein? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.