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

Koller, 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 Koller surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koller in America

Koller is the 5152nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koller surname appeared 6,792 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 Koller.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koller 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 Koller

The surname Koller originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in Germany and Austria. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "koler," meaning "charcoal burner" or "maker of charcoal." This occupation-based surname likely emerged in the 13th or 14th century when hereditary surnames became more common.

The earliest recorded instances of the Koller name can be traced back to medieval German documents. For example, a Hainrich Koler was mentioned in the records of the city of Esslingen, Germany, in 1295. Additionally, a Johannes Koller was documented in the town of Würzburg, Germany, in 1323.

In the 15th century, the Koller name appeared in several historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of documents related to the history of Saxony. One notable individual from this time was Hans Koller, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Nuremberg, who lived from around 1420 to 1485.

As the Koller family spread throughout German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Kohler, Köhler, and Koehler. These variations often reflected regional dialects and local pronunciation preferences.

In the 16th century, the Koller name gained prominence with individuals like Johann Koller (1486-1552), a German Renaissance humanist and professor at the University of Ingolstadt. Another notable figure was Christoph Koller (1564-1639), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Dukes of Württemberg.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several Kollers made their mark in various fields. For instance, Franz Koller (1646-1712) was an Austrian Baroque painter known for his religious works. Johann Koller (1678-1741) was a German mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of calculus and celestial mechanics.

In the 19th century, the Koller name continued to be associated with distinguished individuals. One prominent example is Ferdinand Koller (1842-1904), an Austrian painter and pioneer of the Stimmungsimpressionismus (Mood Impressionism) movement in art.

Throughout history, the Koller surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, musicians, and professionals in various fields, reflecting the diverse contributions of this family name to the cultural and intellectual landscapes of German-speaking regions and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koller

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

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

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

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