2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kuenzle
A surname of Swiss German origin referring to a nickname for someone with a short physique.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Kuenzle. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kuenzle 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Kuenzle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuenzle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuenzle
The surname Kuenzle has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in Switzerland and southern Germany. It likely emerged during the late Middle Ages or the early modern period, between the 14th and 16th centuries.
The name Kuenzle is believed to be derived from a Germanic personal name or nickname, possibly related to words meaning "bold" or "courageous." It may have initially been used to identify individuals with those perceived qualities or as a descriptive surname referring to their physical attributes or personality traits.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kuenzle can be found in the canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the late 15th century. The name appears in various historical documents and records from that region, often with slight variations in spelling, such as Künzle, Künzli, or Künzlin.
In the 16th century, there are references to individuals with the surname Kuenzle in the city of Basel, Switzerland. One notable figure from this time was Hans Kuenzle, a master goldsmith who lived in Basel during the mid-1500s and was renowned for his intricate metalwork and jewelry designs.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it took on different local variations and spellings. In the Black Forest region of Germany, for instance, the surname was sometimes rendered as Künzler or Künzle, reflecting regional linguistic variations.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several individuals bearing the surname Kuenzle achieved recognition in various fields. Johann Kuenzle (1637-1703) was a prominent Swiss theologian and author who served as a pastor in the city of Zurich. His works on Protestant theology and biblical exegesis were widely read and influential during his time.
Another notable figure was Anna Kuenzle (1725-1798), a Swiss painter and portraitist from the town of Winterthur. Her portraits of local nobility and prominent figures were highly regarded, and several of her works are still preserved in museums and private collections.
In the 19th century, the Kuenzle surname gained prominence in the field of watchmaking and precision engineering. Jakob Kuenzle (1811-1889), a skilled watchmaker from the Swiss town of Solothurn, established a renowned workshop that produced intricate timepieces and mechanical devices for various clients across Europe.
As the centuries progressed, individuals with the surname Kuenzle continued to make their mark in various professions and disciplines, contributing to the rich cultural and intellectual heritage of the German-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuenzle
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuenzle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuenzle 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 Kuenzle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuenzle
Kuenzle 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,698 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 630 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 13,698 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 630 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 Kuenzle 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 | #144,141 | #143,511 | 0.4% |
| Count | 115 | 118 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuenzle bearers went from 115 to 118 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 630 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #143,511.
FAQ
Kuenzle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuenzle?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Kuenzle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Kuenzle?
Kuenzle ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Kuenzle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Kuenzle.
Has Kuenzle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuenzle went from 115 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuenzle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuenzle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (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 Kuenzle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuenzle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (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 Kuenzle (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 Kuenzle mean?
A surname of Swiss German origin referring to a nickname for someone with a short physique. 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 Kuenzle (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 have the surname Kuenzle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.