2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Koehlmoos
A German surname derived from the words "kohl" meaning cabbage and "moos" meaning moss, possibly referring to a gardener or someone living near a mossy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Koehlmoos. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koehlmoos 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Koehlmoos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koehlmoos, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koehlmoos
The surname KOEHLMOOS finds its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Bavaria, where it was derived from the combination of the German words "Kohl" (meaning cabbage) and "Moos" (meaning moss or marshland).
This surname likely referred to an individual who lived or worked in an area known for its marshlands or cabbage cultivation. Variations in spelling, such as KÖHLMOOS, KÖLMOOS, and KÖLMOOSS, were common during this era due to regional dialects and inconsistent record-keeping practices.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KOEHLMOOS can be found in the parish records of the village of Altötting, Bavaria, where a certain Hans KOEHLMOOS was mentioned in 1597. The name also appears in various tax records and land registries throughout the 17th and 18th centuries in Bavaria and surrounding areas.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Johann Michael KOEHLMOOS (1719-1793), a Bavarian monk and scholar who authored several treatises on theology and philosophy. Another individual of note was Katharina KOEHLMOOS (1764-1842), a renowned midwife and herbalist from the town of Tittmoning, Bavaria.
As the 19th century dawned, the KOEHLMOOS surname spread beyond Bavaria's borders, with members of the family settling in other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. One such individual was Friedrich KOEHLMOOS (1812-1879), a German-born artist who gained recognition for his landscape paintings in Austria and Switzerland.
In the mid-19th century, the KOEHLMOOS name made its way across the Atlantic, with several families emigrating from Germany to the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances in North America was that of Johann KOEHLMOOS (1828-1901), a Bavarian immigrant who settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and established a successful brewing business.
Another notable figure was Karl KOEHLMOOS (1876-1949), a German-born engineer who played a critical role in the development of early automobiles and aviation technology. He worked for several prominent companies, including Daimler and Opel, and held numerous patents for his innovative designs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koehlmoos
Among Census respondents with the surname Koehlmoos, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Koehlmoos 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 Koehlmoos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koehlmoos
Koehlmoos 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,605 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,605 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 4,695 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 Koehlmoos 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 | #150,452 | #145,757 | 3.1% |
| Count | 109 | 115 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koehlmoos bearers went from 109 to 115 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 4,695 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #145,757.
FAQ
Koehlmoos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koehlmoos?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Koehlmoos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Koehlmoos?
Koehlmoos ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Koehlmoos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Koehlmoos.
Has Koehlmoos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koehlmoos went from 109 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 6 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Koehlmoos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koehlmoos, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Koehlmoos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koehlmoos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (2.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Koehlmoos (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 Koehlmoos mean?
A German surname derived from the words "kohl" meaning cabbage and "moos" meaning moss, possibly referring to a gardener or someone living near a mossy area. 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 Koehlmoos (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 common is the surname Koehlmoos?
You can see how common the surname Koehlmoos is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.