2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Kottmeyer
A surname originating from German, possibly referring to someone living in a small house or cottage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Kottmeyer. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kottmeyer 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.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Kottmeyer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kottmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kottmeyer
The surname Kottmeyer has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, in southern Germany. The name is derived from the German word "Kottmeier," which translates to "cottager" or "small farmer." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in agricultural activities or resided in small cottages or farmhouses.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kottmeyer name can be found in the baptismal records of the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, dating back to 1583. The name was spelled as "Kottmayer" in these records. Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, "Kottmeyer."
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various church records and local documents across Bavaria and neighboring regions. For instance, the birth of Jakob Kottmeyer was registered in the town of Memmingen in 1642. Additionally, a record from 1689 mentions a Hans Kottmeyer residing in the village of Oberammergau, known for its famous Passion Play.
It is worth noting that some variations of the name, such as "Kottmeier" and "Kottmair," were also in use during this period, reflecting regional dialects and spelling conventions. These variations likely stemmed from the original German word "Kottmeier."
One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the Kottmeyer name was Johann Kottmeyer, a respected blacksmith and metalworker who lived in the town of Landshut, Bavaria, in the late 17th century. His works were renowned for their quality and craftsmanship.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Kottmeyer (1723-1798), a Bavarian theologian and author who wrote several influential religious texts during the Age of Enlightenment.
In the 19th century, the Kottmeyer name gained further recognition with the birth of Heinrich Kottmeyer (1843-1912), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded a successful metalworking company in the city of Dortmund.
As the Kottmeyer family continued to spread across German-speaking regions, the name also appeared in various historical records and documents in neighboring countries, such as Austria and Switzerland.
One notable example is the Austrian composer and musician Karl Kottmeyer (1876-1943), who was renowned for his contributions to the field of classical music, particularly his orchestral works and operas.
Overall, the surname Kottmeyer has a rich history rooted in the agricultural and rural traditions of southern Germany, with its earliest bearers likely being small farmers or cottagers. Over the centuries, the name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, theologians, industrialists, and musicians, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscape of the German-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kottmeyer
Among Census respondents with the surname Kottmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kottmeyer 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 Kottmeyer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kottmeyer
Kottmeyer appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,986 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 Kottmeyer 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 | #160,975 | #152,989 | 5.0% |
| Count | 100 | 105 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kottmeyer bearers went from 100 to 105 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #152,989.
FAQ
Kottmeyer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kottmeyer?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Kottmeyer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Kottmeyer?
Kottmeyer ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Kottmeyer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kottmeyer.
Has Kottmeyer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kottmeyer went from 100 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Kottmeyer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kottmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) 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 Kottmeyer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kottmeyer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.8%), 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 Kottmeyer (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 Kottmeyer mean?
A surname originating from German, possibly referring to someone living in a small house or cottage. 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 Kottmeyer (0.04 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 share the surname Kottmeyer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.