2000
#21,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Kiner
A surname of German origin meaning "settler" or "colonist".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,475 Americans carry the last name Kiner. That puts it at #20,820 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 232,376 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kiner 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
1.5K
1 in 232,376
Census rank
#20,820
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,286 bearers of the surname Kiner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20820th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kiner
The surname KINER has its origins in the German language, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "kine," meaning "wedge" or "chisel," which may have been a reference to an occupation or trade related to woodworking or metalworking.
One of the earliest mentions of the KINER surname can be found in the records of Nuremberg, Germany, where a Johann Kiner was listed as a master carpenter in 1582. This suggests that the name may have been associated with the woodworking trade in its early years.
In the 17th century, the KINER surname began to spread beyond Bavaria and Saxony, appearing in records from other German states such as Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. It is possible that members of the KINER family migrated to these regions in search of new opportunities or during periods of unrest.
The first recorded instance of the KINER surname in the English-speaking world can be traced back to the late 18th century, when a Johann Kiner emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in the United States. This early immigrant may have been fleeing the upheaval caused by the Napoleonic Wars or seeking economic opportunities in the New World.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the KINER surname. One such person was Johann Kiner (1805-1879), a German-born architect who designed several prominent buildings in the city of Dresden, including the Semper Opera House and the Zwinger Palace.
Another distinguished KINER was Wilhelm Kiner (1856-1924), a German physicist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early radio technology. He is credited with designing one of the first practical radio transmitters and receivers in the late 19th century.
In the field of literature, the KINER surname is represented by the American author and journalist Ralph Kiner (1922-2014), who was best known for his work as a baseball broadcaster and writer. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975 for his achievements as a player and broadcaster.
The KINER name has also been associated with the arts, with the American painter and printmaker Gertrude Kiner (1885-1967) gaining recognition for her vibrant and colorful works that captured the spirit of rural life in the Midwest.
While the KINER surname may not be as widespread as some other German names, it has left its mark on various fields throughout history, from architecture and science to sports and the arts, reflecting the diverse talents and accomplishments of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kiner
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kiner 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 Kiner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.3% · 852
- Black or African American24.6% · 316
- Two or more races5.1% · 65
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kiner
Kiner 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
#21,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,219
+93 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Up 151 places
2020
#20,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,286
+67 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Up 619 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,590 | 1,126 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,439 | 1,219 | 0.41 | +93 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 151 places |
| 2020 | #20,820 | 1,286 | 0.43 | +67 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 619 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 Kiner 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 | #21,439 | #20,820 | 2.9% |
| Count | 1,219 | 1,286 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.41 | 0.43 | 4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kiner bearers went from 1,219 to 1,286 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 619 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,439 to #20,820.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kiner
FAQ
Kiner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kiner?
Name Census estimates that about 1,475 living Americans carry the surname Kiner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 232,376 residents.
How common is Kiner?
Kiner ranks #20,820 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 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 1,286 people with the surname Kiner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,475), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 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 Kiner.
Has Kiner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kiner went from 1,219 recorded bearers to 1,286. That is an increase of 67 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,439 to #20,820.
What does the Census say about the background of Kiner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiner, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Kiner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.3% (852 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kiner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.3%), Black (24.6%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Kiner (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 Kiner mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "settler" or "colonist". 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 Kiner (0.43 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 Kiner?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Kiner, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.