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

Kiser, 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 Kiser surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kiser in America

Kiser is the 1934th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kiser surname appeared 18,674 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Kiser.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kiser 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 Kiser

The surname Kiser has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the late 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Kaiser," which means "emperor" or "ruler." The name likely referred to someone who worked in the service of the Holy Roman Emperor or a local noble ruler.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name was spelled "Keiser" or "Keyser," which were more direct translations from the German word. Over time, the spelling evolved to "Kiser," especially as the name spread to other regions and countries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johann Kiser, a farmer who lived in the village of Oberkirchen, near Frankfurt, in the late 1500s. Records from the village church mention him and his family.

The Kiser name also appears in the Palatine German immigration records from the early 18th century, when many German families emigrated to the British colonies in North America. One such immigrant was Hans Peter Kiser, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1738.

In the United States, the name Kiser has a strong presence in Pennsylvania, where many of the early German immigrants settled. One notable bearer of the name was John Kiser, a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and was later awarded a land grant in Pennsylvania in recognition of his service.

Another prominent figure with the Kiser surname was William Kiser (1809-1888), a businessman and politician from Ohio. He served as a member of the Ohio State Senate and was involved in various business ventures, including banking and railroad construction.

In more recent history, there have been several authors and writers with the surname Kiser. These include Barbara Kiser (1916-1990), an American novelist and short story writer, and Amanda Kiser (born 1976), an American author of young adult fiction.

Overall, the surname Kiser has a rich history that can be traced back to its German roots and the meaning of "emperor" or "ruler." It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, soldiers, politicians, and writers, across several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kiser

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

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

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

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