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

Koehler, 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 Koehler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koehler in America

Koehler is the 1853rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koehler surname appeared 19,368 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Koehler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koehler 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 Koehler

The surname KOEHLER originated in Germany and is derived from the Middle High German word "kuohler", meaning a charcoal burner or collier. The name first emerged in the 12th century and referred to individuals who were involved in the production of charcoal, an important fuel source at the time.

The earliest recorded instances of the KOEHLER surname can be found in medieval records and documents from various regions of Germany, such as Saxony, Bavaria, and the Rhineland. The name was particularly prevalent in areas with significant forests and charcoal-burning activities.

One of the earliest known references to the KOEHLER surname is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name is also mentioned in the Würzburger Lehenbücher, a record of fiefdoms in Franconia, from the 14th century.

Matthias KOEHLER (c. 1520-1592), a German theologian and reformer from Silesia, is one of the notable historical figures bearing this surname. He played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in the region.

Johann Tobias KOEHLER (1720-1768), a German engraver and artist, is another prominent individual with this surname. His works, including illustrations for books and engravings of landscapes and architecture, are highly regarded in the art world.

In the 19th century, Wilhelm KOEHLER (1833-1914), a German botanist and bryologist, made significant contributions to the study of mosses and liverworts. His extensive collections and research furthered the understanding of these plant groups.

Gustav KOEHLER (1888-1975), a German-American artist and illustrator, is known for his illustrations in various publications, including magazines and children's books. His work was widely admired for its artistic style and attention to detail.

The KOEHLER surname has also been associated with certain place names in Germany, such as Köhlersmühle (KOEHLER's Mill) and Köhlershütte (KOEHLER's Hut), reflecting the historical connection between the name and the charcoal-burning profession.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koehler

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!