2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kuepker
A German surname derived from an occupational term for a maker of barrels or tubs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Kuepker. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kuepker 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Kuepker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuepker, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuepker
The surname Kuepker is of German origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Lower Saxony, particularly in the areas around Hannover and Osnabrück. The name is likely derived from the Old German word "kuper," which means "cooper" or barrel maker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kuepker can be found in the church records of St. Marien Kirche in Osnabrück, dated 1562. This record mentions a certain Hans Kuepker, who was a cooper by trade. It is possible that this Hans Kuepker was one of the first individuals to bear the surname.
In the 17th century, the name Kuepker appeared in various historical documents and records, such as tax rolls and land registries. One notable reference is the mention of a Johann Kuepker in the records of the town of Hannover in 1673. Johann was a respected member of the local guild of coopers.
As the Kuepker family continued to spread across Germany, variations in the spelling of the name emerged. Some of the early recorded spellings include Kuepper, Kupper, and Küpker. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Kuepker was Heinrich Kuepker, born in 1702 in the town of Hildesheim. He was a master cooper and is credited with establishing a successful family business that specialized in the production of high-quality barrels for the local breweries.
Another notable figure was Margaretha Kuepker (1758-1824), who was renowned for her skill in embroidery and needlework. Her intricate creations were sought after by the nobility and can be found in several museums across Germany.
In the 19th century, the Kuepker family continued to make their mark in various professions. One such individual was Wilhelm Kuepker (1820-1892), a respected architect who designed several landmark buildings in the city of Hannover, including the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall).
Friedrich Kuepker (1842-1918) was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Prussian parliament. He was known for his advocacy of workers' rights and played a significant role in the formation of early labor laws in Germany.
Throughout history, the surname Kuepker has been associated with the trades of coopering and barrel making, as well as other professions such as architecture, law, and politics. While the name may have originated in a specific region of Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by generations of Kuepkers who have left their mark in their respective communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuepker
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuepker, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuepker 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 Kuepker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 104
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuepker
Kuepker 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
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,109 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 5,109 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 Kuepker 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 | #156,044 | #150,935 | 3.3% |
| Count | 104 | 108 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuepker bearers went from 104 to 108 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 5,109 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #150,935.
FAQ
Kuepker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuepker?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Kuepker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Kuepker?
Kuepker ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Kuepker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Kuepker.
Has Kuepker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuepker went from 104 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuepker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuepker, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Kuepker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuepker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Two or More Races (1.9%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Kuepker (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 Kuepker mean?
A German surname derived from an occupational term for a maker of barrels or tubs. 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 Kuepker (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 Kuepker?
Find out how many people are called Kuepker on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.