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

Koelling, 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 Koelling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koelling in America

Koelling is the 23604th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koelling surname appeared 1,075 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Koelling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koelling 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 Koelling

The surname Koelling originated in Germany during the late Middle Ages. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the Old German word "kol," meaning "a rounded hill" or "a peak." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a distinctive rounded hilltop or hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Koelling surname was in the town of Kölln, near the city of Leipzig, in the late 14th century. The name appeared in various forms, such as Kolling, Kollingen, and Kolingen, reflecting regional spellings and dialects of the time.

In the 15th century, the Koelling name was found in several historical records, including the town registers of Nuremberg and Augsburg. Notable individuals with the surname from this period include Hans Kolingen, a merchant from Nuremberg, born around 1420, and Konrad Kolingen, a craftsman from Augsburg, active in the late 1400s.

As the centuries progressed, the Koelling family spread throughout Germany and beyond. In the 17th century, a branch of the family settled in the region of Silesia, which is now part of Poland. One prominent member was Johann Koelling, a Lutheran minister born in Breslau (now Wrocław) in 1638.

The Koelling surname also found its way to North America, with early immigrants from Germany settling in various regions, including Pennsylvania and the Midwest. One of the earliest recorded Koellings in America was Johann Koelling, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749.

In the 19th century, several notable individuals bore the Koelling surname. These include Friedrich Koelling, a German composer and organist born in 1813, and Wilhelm Koelling, a German writer and philosopher born in 1835.

Overall, the Koelling surname has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, with its origins rooted in the German language and geographic features of the Middle Ages. Despite variations in spelling, the name has maintained a strong presence throughout Europe and beyond, carried on by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koelling

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

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

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

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