2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kottre
A surname of German origin meaning "a small house".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Kottre. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kottre 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Kottre in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kottre, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kottre
The surname KOTTRE is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old German word "kotte," meaning a small, modest dwelling or cottage. This surname would have initially been applied to someone who lived in such a humble abode, serving as a descriptive identifier.
The earliest recorded instance of the name KOTTRE can be traced back to the 13th century, appearing in a collection of historical records from the town of Nuremberg, Germany. In these documents, a man named Heinriche Kottre is mentioned as a local landowner and prominent figure within the community.
Throughout the following centuries, the name KOTTRE can be found scattered across various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. Some variations in spelling, such as "Kottre," "Kotter," and "Kottar," also emerged during this time, reflecting regional dialects and the inconsistencies of record-keeping in those eras.
One notable individual bearing the KOTTRE surname was Johann Kottre (1495-1569), a German theologian and philosopher who lectured at the University of Wittenberg and was a contemporary of Martin Luther. His writings and teachings played a significant role in shaping the intellectual discourse of the Protestant Reformation.
Another historical figure was Margarethe Kottre (1609-1678), a German midwife and herbalist who lived in the town of Augsburg. Her extensive knowledge of traditional remedies and her dedication to assisting women during childbirth earned her a reputation that extended well beyond her local community.
In the 18th century, a man named Wilhelm Kottre (1725-1789) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and watchmaker in the city of Dresden. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility and affluent citizens of the region, solidifying the Kottre name's association with craftsmanship and precision.
The surname KOTTRE also made its way to other parts of Europe, with records indicating individuals bearing this name in countries like the Netherlands and France. One such example is Pieter Kottre (1801-1879), a Dutch painter known for his vivid landscapes and seascapes, who exhibited his works throughout Europe during his lifetime.
Furthermore, the KOTTRE name can be found in historical documents from the United States, likely brought over by German immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries. One prominent figure was Wilhelm Kottre (1870-1943), a German-American entrepreneur who established a successful brewing company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, contributing to the city's rich beer-making tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kottre
Among Census respondents with the surname Kottre, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kottre 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 Kottre surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 108
- Two or more races6.6% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kottre
Kottre 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,383 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 1,383 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 169 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 Kottre 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 | #141,140 | #141,309 | -0.1% |
| Count | 118 | 121 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kottre bearers went from 118 to 121 (+2.5% change). The surname moved down 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #141,309.
FAQ
Kottre surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kottre?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Kottre. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Kottre?
Kottre ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Kottre. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Kottre.
Has Kottre become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kottre went from 118 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 3 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Kottre?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kottre, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Kottre in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kottre appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (6.6%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Kottre (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 Kottre mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "a small house". 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 Kottre (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 are called Kottre?
If you just want to know how common the surname Kottre is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.