2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Klotzer
A German surname derived from an occupational name for a wood carver or sculptor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Klotzer. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Klotzer 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Klotzer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Klotzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Klotzer
The surname KLOTZER originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "klotzen," which means "to strike" or "to beat," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a blacksmith or a metalworker.
The name was initially concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was spelled in various ways, including Klotzner, Klotzer, and Klozner. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Nuremberg town records from 1298, where a certain Hans Klotzer is mentioned as a resident of the city.
In the 14th century, the name KLOTZER began to appear in other parts of Germany, such as Thuringia and Hesse. It is also found in some medieval manuscripts from this period, including a legal document from 1372 that mentions a certain Konrad Klotzer as a landowner in the village of Kirchheim.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the KLOTZER name gained prominence, with several notable individuals bearing it. One of the earliest was Johann Klotzer (1495-1567), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another notable figure was Maria Klotzer (1532-1611), a German midwife and herbalist who authored one of the earliest known medical texts written by a woman.
In the 18th century, the KLOTZER surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Austria and Switzerland. One famous bearer of the name during this time was Johann Georg Klotzer (1725-1798), a German composer and organist who served as the court musician for the Prince-Bishop of Eichstätt.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several prominent figures with the KLOTZER surname, including Friedrich Klotzer (1811-1879), a German architect who designed numerous churches and public buildings in Bavaria, and Karl Klotzer (1847-1923), a German-American artist and illustrator known for his work in the Golden Age of Illustration.
As the KLOTZER name spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world through emigration, it has retained its strong ties to its German origins and the rich history associated with it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klotzer
Among Census respondents with the surname Klotzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Klotzer 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 Klotzer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 7
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Klotzer
Klotzer 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-10 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,627 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-15 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,802 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 15,627 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 14,802 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 Klotzer 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 | #133,863 | #148,665 | -11.1% |
| Count | 126 | 111 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Klotzer bearers went from 126 to 111 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 14,802 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #148,665.
FAQ
Klotzer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Klotzer?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Klotzer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Klotzer?
Klotzer ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Klotzer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Klotzer.
Has Klotzer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Klotzer went from 126 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Klotzer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Klotzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Klotzer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Klotzer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Hispanic (6.3%), Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Klotzer (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 Klotzer mean?
A German surname derived from an occupational name for a wood carver or sculptor. 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 Klotzer (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 people are called Klotzer?
Find out how many people are called Klotzer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.