2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Koblentz
An occupational surname derived from the German town of Koblenz.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Koblentz. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koblentz 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Koblentz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koblentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koblentz
The surname KOBLENTZ is of German origin, originating in the city of Koblenz, located on the banks of the Rhine and Moselle rivers in western Germany. The name is derived from the German word "Koblenz," which itself comes from the Latin words "confluentia" and "confluentes," meaning "confluence" or "merging of rivers."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname KOBLENTZ can be traced back to the 13th century, when it was commonly used to identify individuals who hailed from or had ties to the city of Koblenz. This was a common practice during the Middle Ages, as surnames were often derived from place names to distinguish people from different regions.
In the 14th century, historical records mention a prominent figure named Johannes KOBLENTZ, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Koblenz. His name appears in several documents related to trade and property transactions in the region.
During the 16th century, a notable individual named Hans KOBLENTZ is recorded as a master craftsman and guild leader in the city of Koblenz. He is credited with establishing several guilds for various trades, which played a significant role in the city's economic development at the time.
In the 18th century, a scholar and philosopher named Friedrich KOBLENTZ gained recognition for his works on ethics and moral philosophy. Born in 1720 in Koblenz, he published several influential treatises and was considered a leading intellectual figure of his era.
Another notable individual with the surname KOBLENTZ was Wilhelm KOBLENTZ, a 19th-century engineer and inventor. Born in 1825 in Koblenz, he is best known for his contributions to the development of early steam engines and industrial machinery, which played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution.
Over the centuries, the KOBLENTZ surname has spread beyond its original geographic roots, as families migrated to different parts of Europe and eventually to other continents. However, its origins can be traced back to the historic city of Koblenz, where the name first emerged and gained significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koblentz
Among Census respondents with the surname Koblentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Koblentz 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 Koblentz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koblentz
Koblentz 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+11 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,190 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-27 bearers (-21.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,856 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 1,190 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -27 bearers (-21.8%) | Down 20,856 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 Koblentz 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 | #135,593 | #156,449 | -15.4% |
| Count | 124 | 97 | -21.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koblentz bearers went from 124 to 97 (-21.8% change). The surname moved down 20,856 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #156,449.
FAQ
Koblentz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koblentz?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Koblentz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Koblentz?
Koblentz ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Koblentz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Koblentz.
Has Koblentz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koblentz went from 124 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 27 (-21.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Koblentz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koblentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Koblentz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koblentz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (3.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Koblentz (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 Koblentz mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German town of Koblenz. 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 Koblentz (0.03 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 Koblentz?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Koblentz, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.