2000
#12,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,179
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Kitzmiller
Derived from the German surname Kitzmüller, an occupational name for a maker or seller of mead (honey wine).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,342 Americans carry the last name Kitzmiller. That puts it at #14,118 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,351 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kitzmiller 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
2.3K
1 in 146,351
Census rank
#14,118
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,042 bearers of the surname Kitzmiller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14118th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kitzmiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kitzmiller
The surname Kitzmiller has its roots in Germany, originating in the 14th century. It is derived from the Middle High German words "kütz," meaning "short" or "small," and "müller," meaning "miller." The name likely referred to someone who was a small or short miller.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Kitzmiller dates back to the late 1300s in the town of Heidelberg, where it appeared in local tax records. Similar spellings from that era include Kutzmuller and Kutzmoller.
In the 16th century, the name Kitzmiller began appearing in various records across southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One notable early bearer was Hans Kitzmiller, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Esslingen near Stuttgart in the late 1500s.
As the name spread, it took on various regional spellings, such as Kitzmuller, Kitzmuller, and Kitzmueller. In some areas, the name was also anglicized to Kitzmiller or Kitsmiller, particularly among those who emigrated to English-speaking countries.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name in America was Johann Kitzmiller, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-1700s. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States, including Maryland, Virginia, and Ohio.
Another notable bearer of the name was Wilhelm Kitzmiller, a German-American artist and engraver born in 1827 in Pforzheim, Germany. He is known for his detailed etchings and engravings of landscapes and architectural subjects.
In the 19th century, the name Kitzmiller was also found in Canada, with families settling in Ontario and other provinces. One notable Canadian bearer was John Kitzmiller, a businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the late 1800s.
Throughout history, the surname Kitzmiller has been associated with various occupations, including millers, farmers, artisans, and professionals. While not a common name, it has maintained a presence across generations, reflecting its German heritage and the migration patterns of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kitzmiller
Among Census respondents with the surname Kitzmiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kitzmiller 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 Kitzmiller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 1,926
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 57
- Two or more races1.8% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kitzmiller
Kitzmiller 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
#13,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,216
+37 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 731 places
2020
#14,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,042
-174 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 458 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,929 | 2,179 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,660 | 2,216 | 0.75 | +37 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 731 places |
| 2020 | #14,118 | 2,042 | 0.68 | -174 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 458 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 Kitzmiller 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 | #13,660 | #14,118 | -3.4% |
| Count | 2,216 | 2,042 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.68 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kitzmiller bearers went from 2,216 to 2,042 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 458 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,660 to #14,118.
FAQ
Kitzmiller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kitzmiller?
Name Census estimates that about 2,342 living Americans carry the surname Kitzmiller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,351 residents.
How common is Kitzmiller?
Kitzmiller ranks #14,118 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,042 people with the surname Kitzmiller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,342), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Kitzmiller.
Has Kitzmiller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kitzmiller went from 2,216 recorded bearers to 2,042. That is a decrease of 174 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,660 to #14,118.
What does the Census say about the background of Kitzmiller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kitzmiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Kitzmiller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (1,926 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kitzmiller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Kitzmiller (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 Kitzmiller mean?
Derived from the German surname Kitzmüller, an occupational name for a maker or seller of mead (honey wine). 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 Kitzmiller (0.68 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 common is the surname Kitzmiller?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Kitzmiller, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.