2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kirchhoefer
An occupational surname referring to a person from the village or region of Kirchhoefer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Kirchhoefer. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kirchhoefer 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Kirchhoefer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirchhoefer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kirchhoefer
The surname "KIRCHHOEFER" is of German origin, originating in the 15th century. It is derived from the German words "Kirche" meaning "church" and "Hofer" meaning "farmer" or "dweller." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who lived or worked near a church or on church-owned lands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Württemberg, Germany, where a "Hans Kirchhoefer" is mentioned in 1497. It is likely that the name had already been in use for some time before this first documented record.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical documents from the Rhineland region of Germany. A "Johann Kirchhoefer" is mentioned in a land deed from Cologne, dated 1523, indicating that the family had established itself in the area.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, various spellings emerged, such as "Kirchhofer," "Kirchhoffer," and "Kirchhöfer." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
One notable bearer of the name was Johann Kirchhoefer (1633-1701), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg. His works on metaphysics and logic were widely studied in academic circles during the 17th century.
Another prominent figure was Christoph Kirchhoefer (1765-1831), a German architect and urban planner. He is credited with designing several iconic buildings in the city of Frankfurt, including the Alte Oper (Old Opera House) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
In the 19th century, the Kirchhoefer family had established a presence in the United States, with several individuals bearing the name appearing in census records from Pennsylvania and Ohio. One notable American was William Kirchhoefer (1854-1921), a businessman and philanthropist from Cincinnati, who donated significant funds to establish the city's first public library system.
As the name spread across Europe and beyond, it became associated with various place names, such as Kirchhofen in Switzerland and Kirchhöfer in Austria. These place names likely influenced the spelling variations and regional adaptations of the surname.
Throughout its history, the surname "KIRCHHOEFER" has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, architects, businessmen, and farmers, reflecting the diverse origins and meanings of this German surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kirchhoefer
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirchhoefer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kirchhoefer 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 Kirchhoefer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 93
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kirchhoefer
Kirchhoefer 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+19 bearers (+18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,768 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-20 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,428 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.4%) | Up 9,768 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 17,428 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 Kirchhoefer 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 | #137,327 | #154,755 | -12.7% |
| Count | 122 | 102 | -16.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kirchhoefer bearers went from 122 to 102 (-16.4% change). The surname moved down 17,428 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #154,755.
FAQ
Kirchhoefer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kirchhoefer?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Kirchhoefer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Kirchhoefer?
Kirchhoefer ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Kirchhoefer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kirchhoefer.
Has Kirchhoefer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kirchhoefer went from 122 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 20 (-16.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Kirchhoefer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirchhoefer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Kirchhoefer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kirchhoefer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Kirchhoefer (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 Kirchhoefer mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person from the village or region of Kirchhoefer. 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 Kirchhoefer (0.03 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 surname Kirchhoefer?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.