2000
#5,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,662
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.10
Rare Last name
Kuhl
A German occupational surname referring to a person who transports goods, derived from the Middle High German word "kuol".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,677 Americans carry the last name Kuhl. That puts it at #5,730 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,334 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kuhl 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 Kuhl with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 51,334
Census rank
#5,730
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,823 bearers of the surname Kuhl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5730th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuhl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuhl
The surname "KUHL" originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "kuole," meaning "cool" or "cold." This likely referred to someone who lived in a cool or shaded area, or perhaps someone with a calm temperament.
The earliest known record of the Kuhl surname dates back to the 13th century in the German region of Saxony. In 1287, a document from the town of Weissenfels mentions a "Johannes Kuhl" among the local residents. Other early spellings include "Kuhle," "Kuhlen," and "Kule."
In the 14th century, the name appears in several historical records from various German cities and towns. In 1332, a "Heinrich Kuhle" is listed in the tax records of the city of Cologne. A "Dietrich Kule" is mentioned in a 1348 document from the town of Halberstadt.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the Kuhl surname was Johann Kuhl, a German botanist and zoologist born in 1765. He made significant contributions to the study of birds and wrote several important works on the subject.
Another noteworthy figure was Johann Gottfried Kuhl, born in 1805, who was a prominent German theologian and writer. He authored several books on religious topics and served as a pastor in the city of Berlin.
In the 19th century, Carl Ludwig Kuhl, born in 1822, was a German engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing several important innovations in the field of steam engine design.
The Kuhl name can also be found in various place names throughout Germany, such as Kuhlendorf (meaning "Kuhl's village") and Kuhlbach (meaning "Kuhl's creek").
Throughout its history, the surname Kuhl has been associated with individuals from various professions and walks of life, including academics, clergy, scientists, and craftsmen. While not as widespread as some other German surnames, it has maintained a presence in various regions of the country for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuhl
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuhl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuhl 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 Kuhl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 5,442
- Two or more races2.9% · 167
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 164
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 29
- Black or African American0.3% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuhl
Kuhl 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
#5,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,872
+210 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.99
Rank movement Down 255 places
2020
#5,730
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,823
-49 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.95
Rank movement Up 147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,622 | 5,662 | 2.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,877 | 5,872 | 1.99 | +210 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 255 places |
| 2020 | #5,730 | 5,823 | 1.95 | -49 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 147 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 Kuhl 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 | #5,877 | #5,730 | 2.5% |
| Count | 5,872 | 5,823 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.99 | 1.95 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuhl bearers went from 5,872 to 5,823 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 147 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,877 to #5,730.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kuhl
FAQ
Kuhl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuhl?
Name Census estimates that about 6,677 living Americans carry the surname Kuhl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,334 residents.
How common is Kuhl?
Kuhl ranks #5,730 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.95 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 5,823 people with the surname Kuhl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,677), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.95 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 Kuhl.
Has Kuhl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuhl went from 5,872 recorded bearers to 5,823. That is a decrease of 49 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,877 to #5,730.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuhl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuhl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Kuhl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (5,442 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuhl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Kuhl (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 Kuhl mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a person who transports goods, derived from the Middle High German word "kuol". 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 Kuhl (1.95 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 Kuhl?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.