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

Kohl, 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 Kohl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kohl in America

Kohl is the 3806th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kohl surname appeared 9,303 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Kohl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kohl 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 Kohl

The surname KOHL is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "kohl," which means "coal" or "charcoal." The earliest recorded examples of this surname can be found in various medieval documents from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One possible explanation for the origins of the KOHL surname is that it may have been an occupational name given to individuals involved in the production or trade of charcoal or coal. This could include charcoal burners, coal miners, or merchants who dealt in these materials.

Alternatively, the name KOHL may have been a descriptive surname, referring to an individual's physical appearance or complexion. In some cases, it may have been used as a nickname for someone with a dark or swarthy complexion, resembling the color of coal.

In the Codex Diplomaticus Prussicus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Prussia, there are references to individuals bearing the surname KOHL as early as the 14th century. One notable example is Johannes KOHL, a landowner mentioned in a document dated 1372.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname KOHL. However, it is worth noting that surnames were not widely used at the time of the Domesday Book's compilation, as inherited family names did not become common practice until the 12th and 13th centuries.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname KOHL:

1. Helmut KOHL (1930-2017), a German statesman who served as the Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998.
2. Johann Georg KOHL (1808-1878), a German-American writer and traveler known for his accounts of his travels in the United States and Canada.
3. Benjamin J. KOHL (1938-2010), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Kohl's department store chain.
4. Johann Peter KOHL (1698-1778), a German painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings.
5. Friedrich KOHL (1893-1976), a German writer and journalist who documented the rise of Nazism in Germany during the 1930s.

These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the surname KOHL who have left their mark on history in various fields, including politics, literature, business, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kohl

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!