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

Koerner, 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 Koerner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koerner in America

Koerner is the 5833rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koerner surname appeared 5,928 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Koerner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koerner 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 Koerner

The surname Koerner is of German origin, originating from the region of Bavaria in southern Germany. The name is derived from the Old German word "korn," which means grain or corn, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name were likely farmers or merchants involved in the grain trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the Koerner surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various German regions. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, which mentions a Conradus Kornere in 1292.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the name appeared in various forms, such as Korner, Körner, and Kornär, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. During this period, the name was also associated with certain place names, such as Kornberg (meaning "grain hill") and Kornmarkt (meaning "grain market").

One of the earliest notable individuals with the Koerner surname was Hans Körner (1470-1546), a German painter and wood engraver from Nuremberg. His works include illustrations for several books published in the early 16th century, including the Nuremberg Chronicle.

Another prominent figure was Johann Gottfried Körner (1670-1731), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as the rector of the University of Leipzig. He is known for his contributions to the field of civil law and his writings on legal theory.

In the 19th century, the Koerner name gained further recognition with the birth of Karl Theodor Körner (1791-1813), a German poet and soldier. He is celebrated for his patriotic poems and writings, which became popular during the Napoleonic Wars and the struggle for German unification.

Another notable figure from this period was Gustav Koerner (1809-1896), a German-American lawyer, judge, and politician. He served as the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois and played a significant role in the anti-slavery movement in the United States.

In more recent times, the Koerner name has been associated with individuals such as Brendan Koerner (born 1976), an American journalist and author who has written extensively on technology and cultural topics.

Overall, the surname Koerner has a rich history rooted in German agricultural traditions, with various branches of the family contributing to diverse fields such as art, law, literature, and politics over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koerner

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

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

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

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