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

Kohler, 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 Kohler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kohler in America

Kohler is the 2177th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kohler surname appeared 16,686 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Kohler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kohler 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 Kohler

The surname Kohler originated in Germany, first appearing in records as early as the 13th century. It is derived from the German word "kohler," which means a charcoal burner or collier. This occupation was essential in medieval times when charcoal was the primary fuel source for heating and metalworking.

The name Kohler can be traced back to various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Silesia. It is believed that the earliest bearers of the name were individuals who worked as charcoal burners or lived near areas where charcoal was produced.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kohler can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dating back to 1285. This document refers to a certain "Cunradus Koler," suggesting that the name had already been established by that time.

In the 14th century, the name Kohler appeared in various cities and towns across Germany, such as Nuremberg, Augsburg, and Leipzig. Some notable individuals bearing the name during this period include Johannes Kohler, a merchant from Nuremberg (1349-1412), and Hans Kohler, a craftsman from Augsburg (1376-1442).

As the name spread throughout Germany, various spelling variations emerged, including Koehler, Köhler, and Koegler. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.

In the 16th century, the name Kohler gained prominence with the rise of the Reformation movement. One of the most notable figures was Johann Kohler (1518-1572), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony, who played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in Germany.

Another notable bearer of the name was Johann David Kohler (1684-1755), a German jurist and professor of law at the University of Göttingen. His work, "Corpus Juris Cambialis," published in 1719, became a highly influential treatise on commercial law.

As people migrated across Europe and beyond, the surname Kohler spread to other regions, including Switzerland, France, and eventually to the Americas. Some famous individuals with the name Kohler include Gustav Kohler (1819-1892), a Swiss politician and President of the Swiss Confederation, and John Michael Kohler (1844-1900), the founder of the Kohler Company, a leading manufacturer of plumbing products based in Wisconsin, USA.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kohler

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

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

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

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