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

Kjær, 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 Kjær surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kjær in America

Kjær is the 114424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kjær surname appeared 153 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kjær.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kjær 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 Kjær

The surname Kjaer originated in Denmark and is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word "kjarr," meaning a thicket or a brushwood. This surname first emerged during the medieval period in the region of Jutland, the mainland part of Denmark.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Kjaer can be traced back to the 14th century, where it appeared in various Danish records and manuscripts. One notable example is the mention of a landowner named Peder Kjaer in the chronicles of the island of Funen, dated around 1380.

In the 16th century, the name Kjaer was also found in the records of the city of Aarhus, one of the oldest cities in Denmark. During this time, the spelling variations included "Kier," "Kiaer," and "Kiær," reflecting the phonetic differences in the pronunciation of the name across different regions.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Kjaer was Hans Kjaer, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Horsens in the late 15th century. His legacy can be traced through various historical documents and property records from that era.

Another notable figure was Niels Kjaer, a Danish naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. He played a significant role in several naval battles against the British and was celebrated for his bravery and leadership.

In the 19th century, the name Kjaer gained further recognition through the works of the Danish author and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), whose writings had a profound influence on existentialism and modern philosophy. Although his surname was slightly different, it shared a similar origin and pronunciation with Kjaer.

Another prominent individual with the surname Kjaer was Niels Erik Kjaer (1871-1924), a Danish architect known for his contributions to the National Romantic style of architecture. He designed several notable buildings in Copenhagen, including the Dansk Folkeferie building and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek museum.

In more recent history, the name Kjaer has been carried by individuals such as Simon Kjaer, a Danish professional football player who currently plays as a defender for AC Milan and the Danish national team. He was born in 1989 and has represented Denmark in several major international tournaments.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kjær

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

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

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

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