2000
#1,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,037
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.06
Uncommon Last name
Koehler
An occupational surname referring to a person who made charcoal or lived near a charcoal kiln.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,193 Americans carry the last name Koehler. That puts it at #1,907 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koehler 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Koehler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,173
Census rank
#1,907
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,481 bearers of the surname Koehler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1907th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koehler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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of the earliest known references to the KOEHLER surname is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koehler
Among Census respondents with the surname Koehler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Koehler 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 Koehler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 17,094
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 577
- Two or more races2.9% · 530
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 145
- Black or African American0.5% · 85
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koehler
Koehler 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
#1,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,368
+331 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 6.57
Rank movement Down 128 places
2020
#1,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,481
-887 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 6.18
Rank movement Down 54 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,725 | 19,037 | 7.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,853 | 19,368 | 6.57 | +331 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 128 places |
| 2020 | #1,907 | 18,481 | 6.18 | -887 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 54 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 Koehler 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 | #1,853 | #1,907 | -2.9% |
| Count | 19,368 | 18,481 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 6.57 | 6.18 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koehler bearers went from 19,368 to 18,481 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 54 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,853 to #1,907.
FAQ
Koehler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koehler?
Name Census estimates that about 21,193 living Americans carry the surname Koehler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,173 residents.
How common is Koehler?
Koehler ranks #1,907 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,481 people with the surname Koehler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,193), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Koehler.
Has Koehler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koehler went from 19,368 recorded bearers to 18,481. That is a decrease of 887 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,853 to #1,907.
What does the Census say about the background of Koehler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koehler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Koehler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (17,094 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koehler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Koehler (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 Koehler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who made charcoal or lived near a charcoal kiln. 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 Koehler (6.18 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 share the surname Koehler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.