Kindler last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kindler

A German surname derived from the word "Kindler," meaning a maker or seller of candles.

Kindler, 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 Kindler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kindler in America

Kindler is the 26492nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kindler surname appeared 921 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 Kindler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kindler 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 26492 21004 23.11%
Count 921 1,166 -23.48%
Proportion per 100k 0.31 0.43 -32.43%

The history of the last name Kindler

The surname Kindler has its origins in Germany, emerging during the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "kündelære," which referred to a maker or seller of candles. The name likely originated as an occupational surname, given to individuals involved in the production or trade of candles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kindler can be found in the Deutsches Namenlexikon, a comprehensive dictionary of German surnames, which dates the name back to the year 1275 in the town of Nürnberg (Nuremberg). This suggests that the name was already established in the region of Franconia, Bavaria, during the 13th century.

Historical records from the 14th century indicate that the Kindler surname was also present in other parts of Germany, including the regions of Saxony and Silesia. In the city of Leipzig, a merchant named Hans Kindler was mentioned in a trade guild register from the year 1387.

Throughout the centuries, the Kindler name has undergone various spelling variations, such as Kyndler, Kündler, and Kündeler, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. Some of these variations can be found in old parish records and municipal documents from different parts of Germany.

One notable figure in history who bore the Kindler surname was Johann Kindler (1616-1684), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg. He was renowned for his sacred music compositions and served as the organist at the Sebalduskirche in his hometown.

Another individual of historical significance was Christoph Kindler (1697-1770), a German architect and master builder from Saxony. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings, including the Baroque-style Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, which was sadly destroyed during World War II but has since been meticulously reconstructed.

In the realm of literature, the name Kindler is associated with Johann Baptist Kindler (1765-1843), a German writer and poet from Bavaria. He is best known for his collection of folk tales and legends, which preserved many traditional stories from the region.

Moving to the 19th century, Johann Kindler (1819-1889) was a prominent German engineer and industrialist from Silesia. He played a significant role in the development of the steel industry in the region and founded the Kindler Steelworks, which became one of the largest steel manufacturers in Europe at the time.

Lastly, a more recent figure bearing the Kindler surname is Hans Kindler (1892-1949), an Austrian-American conductor and violinist. He served as the music director of several prestigious orchestras, including the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and contributed significantly to the promotion of classical music in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kindler

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

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 Kindler was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.01% 875
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.87% 8
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.19% 11
Hispanic Origin 2.06% 19

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 Kindler has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.01% 95.80% -0.83%
Black 0.87% 0.86% 1.16%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.19% 1.54% -25.64%
Hispanic 2.06% 1.20% 52.76%

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

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

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"Kindler last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kindler-surname-popularity/.

"Kindler last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kindler-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Kindler last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/kindler-surname-popularity/.

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