Find out how popular the last name Kurtzer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kurtzer.

Kurtzer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kurtzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kurtzer in America

Kurtzer is the 71265th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kurtzer surname appeared 274 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kurtzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kurtzer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kurtzer

The surname KURTZER is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is derived from the German word "kurz," meaning "short" or "brief," and was likely an occupational surname given to a tailor or someone involved in the clothing trade who specialized in making shorter garments or accessories.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KURTZER surname dates back to 1487, when a Johannes Kurtzer was mentioned in the town records of Nuremberg, a prominent city in Bavaria. The spelling of the surname at that time varied, with some records showing it as "Kurtzer," "Kürzer," or even "Kurzer."

In the 16th century, the KURTZER name appears in several historical documents from the German states, including the Württembergische Regesten, a collection of records from the Duchy of Württemberg. One notable individual from this period was Hans Kurtzer, a merchant and landowner born in Stuttgart in 1524, who played a role in the local politics of the region.

As the name spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions, it took on various spellings and variations, such as "Kürzer," "Kurzner," and "Kurtzner." In the 17th century, the KURTZER surname is found in records from the Free Imperial City of Augsburg, where a family of tailors and cloth merchants bearing the name resided.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several KURTZER individuals achieved prominence in various fields. Johann Georg Kurtzer (1733-1799) was a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects. In the field of music, Carl Kurtzer (1784-1849) was a renowned violinist and composer who performed throughout Europe.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Kurtzer (1817-1891), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire, in the late 19th century.

As German immigrants began to settle in other parts of the world, the KURTZER surname traveled with them. In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the 1820 census, where a Johann Kurtzer is listed as residing in Pennsylvania.

While the KURTZER surname originated in Germany and has a long history in that region, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have contributed to the rich tapestry of cultural diversity in their respective communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kurtzer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kurtzer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kurtzer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kurtzer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kurtzer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kurtzer, please contact us.

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