2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Koeniger
A surname derived from a German occupational name referring to a beehive maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Koeniger. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koeniger 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Koeniger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koeniger, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koeniger
The surname KOENIGER is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria in southern Germany. It likely emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 11th and 15th centuries. The name is derived from the German word "König," meaning "king," and the suffix "-er," which denotes an occupation or association. Thus, KOENIGER may have originally referred to someone who worked for or served a king, such as a royal servant or official.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KOENIGER can be found in a 14th-century document from the city of Nuremberg, where a certain "Hans Koeniger" is mentioned as a merchant and trader. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the KOENIGER name appeared in various records and documents from towns and villages across Bavaria, indicating its spread throughout the region. Some notable individuals bearing the name during this period include Johann KOENIGER (1567-1634), a Lutheran pastor and theologian from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, and Anna KOENIGER (1602-1678), a prominent landowner and businesswoman from the city of Augsburg.
In the 18th century, the KOENIGER name gained recognition beyond Bavaria, particularly in the neighboring regions of Franconia and Swabia. One notable figure from this time was Friedrich KOENIGER (1721-1792), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from the town of Schwabach, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and royalty across Europe.
As the 19th century dawned, the KOENIGER name began to appear in various parts of the German-speaking world, as well as in countries with significant German immigration, such as the United States and Canada. One prominent individual was Karl KOENIGER (1819-1892), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the successful Koeniger Brewing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Another notable figure was Emilie KOENIGER (1854-1932), a pioneering German educator and women's rights activist who established several schools and advocated for equal educational opportunities for girls and women.
Throughout its history, the KOENIGER surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, merchants, clergy, inventors, and entrepreneurs. While the name's origins can be traced back to Bavaria, it has since spread worldwide, carried by generations of families and individuals who have made their mark in diverse fields and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koeniger
Among Census respondents with the surname Koeniger, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Koeniger 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 Koeniger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koeniger
Koeniger 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-10 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,456 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,193 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 18,456 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,193 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 Koeniger 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 | #147,253 | #149,446 | -1.5% |
| Count | 112 | 110 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koeniger bearers went from 112 to 110 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,193 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #149,446.
FAQ
Koeniger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koeniger?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Koeniger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Koeniger?
Koeniger ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Koeniger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Koeniger.
Has Koeniger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koeniger went from 112 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Koeniger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koeniger, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Koeniger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koeniger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Hispanic (0.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Koeniger (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 Koeniger mean?
A surname derived from a German occupational name referring to a beehive maker. 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 Koeniger (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 many people share the surname Koeniger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.