2000
#7,504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,094
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Kirschner
An occupational surname referring to a cherry grower or seller, derived from the German word "Kirsche" meaning cherry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,581 Americans carry the last name Kirschner. That puts it at #7,953 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,821 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kirschner 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
4.6K
1 in 74,821
Census rank
#7,953
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,995 bearers of the surname Kirschner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7953rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirschner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kirschner
The surname Kirschner is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "kirsche," meaning "cherry," and the occupational suffix "-er," indicating a person involved in the cultivation or trade of cherries. The name likely originated in the medieval period, around the 12th to 15th centuries, in German-speaking regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kirschner can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Nuremberg, where a certain "Hans Kirschner" was mentioned as a cherry farmer. This suggests that the name was already established and associated with the cherry trade or cultivation at that time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Kirschner was Philipp Kirschner (c. 1520-1589), a German goldsmith and engraver known for his intricate designs and craftsmanship. He was based in Nuremberg and contributed to the city's reputation as a center of artistic excellence during the Renaissance period.
Another historical figure was Johann Kirschner (1639-1689), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Jena. His works focused on metaphysics and the reconciliation of reason and faith, reflecting the intellectual discourse of the 17th century.
In the 18th century, Georg Kirschner (1724-1788) was a prominent German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and urban developments in the city of Dresden, including the Katholische Hofkirche (Catholic Court Church) and the Brühlsche Terrasse, a grand baroque architectural ensemble.
The name Kirschner was also present in other regions of Germany, as evidenced by the 19th-century writer and journalist Wilhelm Kirschner (1832-1906). Born in the Rhineland region, he was known for his literary works and contributions to various German newspapers and magazines.
Throughout its history, the surname Kirschner has been associated with various occupations and professions, from farming and horticulture to artisanry, academia, and the arts. Its connection to the cherry trade and cultivation remains a defining aspect of its origin and meaning.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kirschner
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirschner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kirschner 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 Kirschner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 3,710
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 125
- Two or more races2.2% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 48
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kirschner
Kirschner 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
#7,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,517
+423 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 1.53
Rank movement Up 127 places
2020
#7,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,995
-522 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 576 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,504 | 4,094 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,377 | 4,517 | 1.53 | +423 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 127 places |
| 2020 | #7,953 | 3,995 | 1.34 | -522 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 576 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 Kirschner 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 | #7,377 | #7,953 | -7.8% |
| Count | 4,517 | 3,995 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.53 | 1.34 | -12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kirschner bearers went from 4,517 to 3,995 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 576 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,377 to #7,953.
FAQ
Kirschner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kirschner?
Name Census estimates that about 4,581 living Americans carry the surname Kirschner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,821 residents.
How common is Kirschner?
Kirschner ranks #7,953 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,995 people with the surname Kirschner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,581), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kirschner.
Has Kirschner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kirschner went from 4,517 recorded bearers to 3,995. That is a decrease of 522 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,377 to #7,953.
What does the Census say about the background of Kirschner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirschner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Kirschner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (3,710 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kirschner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Kirschner (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 Kirschner mean?
An occupational surname referring to a cherry grower or seller, derived from the German word "Kirsche" meaning cherry. 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 Kirschner (1.34 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 are called Kirschner?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Kirschner, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.