2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kunstler
A German surname meaning artist or painter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Kunstler. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kunstler 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Kunstler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunstler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kunstler
The surname Kunstler is of German origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the German word "Künstler," which translates to "artist" or "craftsman." The name likely originated in areas of Germany where artistic and artisanal trades were prominent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kunstler can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Germany, from the 15th century. In these records, a certain "Hans Kunstler" is mentioned as a skilled woodcarver and sculptor.
During the Renaissance period, the name Kunstler was associated with various artistic and creative professions, such as painters, sculptors, and architects. In Italy, for example, the spelling "Kunstler" was sometimes used interchangeably with the Italian equivalent "Artista."
A notable figure in the history of the Kunstler name was Johann Kunstler, a German painter and engraver born in Nuremberg in 1580. His works, including portraits and religious scenes, were highly regarded during his lifetime and can still be found in several European museums.
In the 17th century, the Kunstler family expanded its reach beyond Germany, with several members settling in other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England. One such individual was Willem Kunstler, a Dutch artist born in 1622, who is known for his vivid landscapes and seascapes.
Another prominent figure with the Kunstler surname was Karl Kunstler, a German architect born in 1844. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin and other German cities, including the famous Reichstaggebäude (German Parliament building).
As the centuries passed, the Kunstler name continued to be associated with various artistic and creative fields, from literature and music to design and filmmaking. Some other notable individuals with this surname include the American lawyer and civil rights activist William Kunstler (1919-1995) and the German-American film director Robert Kunstler (1892-1969).
Overall, the surname Kunstler has a rich history rooted in the artistic and creative traditions of Germany, with its origins dating back to the late medieval period. Throughout the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions to various artistic and cultural spheres.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kunstler
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunstler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kunstler 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 Kunstler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kunstler
Kunstler 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,999 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 725 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,999 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 725 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 Kunstler 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 | #154,907 | #154,182 | 0.5% |
| Count | 105 | 103 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kunstler bearers went from 105 to 103 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 725 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,182.
FAQ
Kunstler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kunstler?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Kunstler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Kunstler?
Kunstler ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Kunstler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kunstler.
Has Kunstler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kunstler went from 105 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Kunstler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunstler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Kunstler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kunstler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (3.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Kunstler (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 Kunstler mean?
A German surname meaning artist or painter. 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 Kunstler (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Kunstler?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.