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

Kittel, 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 Kittel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kittel in America

Kittel is the 13737th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kittel surname appeared 2,203 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kittel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kittel 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 Kittel

The surname Kittel has its origins in Germany, and it can be traced back to the medieval era, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "kittel," which referred to a type of long, coarse linen garment worn by peasants or monks. This word itself is believed to have originated from the Latin word "tunica," meaning a tunic or undergarment.

In its earliest forms, the surname Kittel was found in various spellings, such as Kittel, Kitel, Kyttel, and Kittell, reflecting the regional variations in language and dialects across different parts of Germany. The name was particularly prevalent in regions like Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland, where it was often associated with families involved in the textile industry or those who wore distinctive linen garments.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Kittel can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," a collection of historical documents from the German state of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions individuals with the name Kittel, providing evidence of the name's existence during that time period.

In the 15th century, the name Kittel appeared in the "Lehnbücher" (feudal registers) of the Electorate of Saxony, indicating that individuals bearing this surname held land or had feudal obligations. One notable figure from this period was Hans Kittel (c. 1450-1520), a German painter and architect who was active in Saxony and is known for his work on the Albrechtsburg castle in Meissen.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Kittel continued to be documented in various records across Germany. One prominent individual was Johann Christian Kittel (1732-1809), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of Ansbach in Bavaria. His works include operas, oratorios, and numerous instrumental compositions.

In the 19th century, Carl Kittel (1834-1888) was a German-American entrepreneur and founder of the Kittel Furniture Company in Indianapolis, Indiana. His company played a significant role in the furniture manufacturing industry of the Midwestern United States during that period.

Another notable figure was Gerhard Kittel (1888-1948), a German Protestant theologian and scholar who is best known for his work on the "Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Neuen Testament" (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament), a comprehensive reference work on the vocabulary of the New Testament.

These examples illustrate the historical presence of the surname Kittel across various regions of Germany and its spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. While the name has evolved over time, its roots can be traced back to the medieval era, reflecting its association with the textile industry and distinctive garments worn by certain social classes or occupations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kittel

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

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

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

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