2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kisseberth
A surname of German origin meaning "cherry mountain" or "cherry hill".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Kisseberth. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kisseberth 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Kisseberth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kisseberth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kisseberth
The surname Kisseberth has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German words "kisse" meaning cushion and "berth" meaning hill or small mountain, suggesting the surname may have originated as a place name referring to a small hill or mound resembling a cushion.
One of the earliest known references to the name Kisseberth can be found in the records of the town of Heidelberg in the year 1583, where a certain Johann Kisseberth is mentioned as a local landowner. It is possible that this individual or his ancestors may have taken the name from a geographical feature in the region.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Kisseberth was Hans Kisseberth, a skilled woodcarver and craftsman who lived in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber from 1612 to 1678. Some of his intricate woodcarvings can still be seen adorning the facades of historic buildings in the town.
During the 18th century, the Kisseberth name appears to have spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. In 1741, a record exists of a Katharina Kisseberth who was born in the town of Bamberg in Bavaria. Another notable individual from this period was Wilhelm Kisseberth, a philosopher and scholar who lived from 1738 to 1814 and taught at the University of Göttingen.
As the 19th century dawned, the Kisseberth surname continued to be found across various parts of Germany and neighboring countries. One prominent figure was Friedrich Kisseberth, a renowned composer and conductor who was born in Leipzig in 1823 and passed away in Vienna in 1892. His works, which included operas and symphonic pieces, were widely performed during his lifetime.
Another individual of note was Emilie Kisseberth, born in 1856 in the town of Weimar. She was a pioneering educator who established several schools for girls and advocated for equal educational opportunities for women. Her efforts and writings on educational reform had a significant impact in the latter part of the 19th century.
Throughout its history, the Kisseberth surname has been associated with various professions and individuals who have made contributions in fields such as art, philosophy, music, and education. While the exact origin of the name may remain uncertain, its longevity and presence across different regions of Germany and neighboring countries serve as a testament to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kisseberth
Among Census respondents with the surname Kisseberth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kisseberth 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 Kisseberth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kisseberth
Kisseberth 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-7 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,252 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-7 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,103 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 13,252 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 9,103 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 Kisseberth 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 | #132,206 | #141,309 | -6.9% |
| Count | 128 | 121 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kisseberth bearers went from 128 to 121 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 9,103 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #141,309.
FAQ
Kisseberth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kisseberth?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Kisseberth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Kisseberth?
Kisseberth ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Kisseberth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Kisseberth.
Has Kisseberth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kisseberth went from 128 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Kisseberth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kisseberth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Kisseberth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kisseberth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Hispanic (1.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Kisseberth (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 Kisseberth mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "cherry mountain" or "cherry hill". 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 Kisseberth (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 Americans have the surname Kisseberth?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.