2000
#5,507
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,799
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.15
Rare Last name
Koller
Derived from the German word "kohler," referring to someone who burns charcoal or works with coal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,520 Americans carry the last name Koller. That puts it at #5,855 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,570 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koller 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Koller with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.5K
1 in 52,570
Census rank
#5,855
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,686 bearers of the surname Koller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5855th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koller, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koller
Among Census respondents with the surname Koller, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Koller 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 Koller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 5,248
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 202
- Two or more races2.9% · 167
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 39
- Black or African American0.4% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koller
Koller 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
#5,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,792
+993 bearers (+17.1%)
Per 100,000 2.30
Rank movement Up 355 places
2020
#5,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,686
-1,106 bearers (-16.3%)
Per 100,000 1.90
Rank movement Down 703 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,507 | 5,799 | 2.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,152 | 6,792 | 2.30 | +993 bearers (+17.1%) | Up 355 places |
| 2020 | #5,855 | 5,686 | 1.90 | -1,106 bearers (-16.3%) | Down 703 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 Koller 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 | #5,152 | #5,855 | -13.6% |
| Count | 6,792 | 5,686 | -16.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.30 | 1.90 | -17.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koller bearers went from 6,792 to 5,686 (-16.3% change). The surname moved down 703 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,152 to #5,855.
FAQ
Koller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koller?
Name Census estimates that about 6,520 living Americans carry the surname Koller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,570 residents.
How common is Koller?
Koller ranks #5,855 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,686 people with the surname Koller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,520), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Koller.
Has Koller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koller went from 6,792 recorded bearers to 5,686. That is a decrease of 1,106 (-16.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,152 to #5,855.
What does the Census say about the background of Koller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koller, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Koller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (5,248 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Koller (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 Koller mean?
Derived from the German word "kohler," referring to someone who burns charcoal or works with coal. 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 Koller (1.90 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 have the last name Koller?
You can see how many people have the last name Koller on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.