2000
#26,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 852
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Very Rare Last name
Kirshner
A surname originating from the German word for cherry, indicating an occupation related to cherries or cherry farming.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 921 Americans carry the last name Kirshner. That puts it at #30,982 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 372,155 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kirshner 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
921
1 in 372,155
Census rank
#30,982
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
803
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 803 bearers of the surname Kirshner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30982nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirshner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kirshner
The surname Kirshner is of German-Jewish origin, with its roots in the Yiddish language. It is derived from the word "kirschen," meaning "cherries," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been associated with the cultivation or trade of cherries.
The name Kirshner can be traced back to the 16th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas of Bavaria and Franconia. Historical records from this period, such as tax rolls and church registers, contain various spellings of the name, including Kirschner, Kirshner, and Kirschen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kirshner name appears in the Memorbuch (memorial book) of the Jewish community in Worms, Germany, dating back to the late 15th century. This document mentions a family by the name of Kirschner, indicating their presence in the region during that time.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Kirshner name was Rabbi Yehuda Leib Kirshner (1608-1677), a prominent Talmudic scholar and author who lived in Cracow, Poland. His works, including commentaries on the Talmud and Jewish law, were highly influential and widely studied in Jewish communities across Europe.
Another noteworthy individual with the Kirshner surname was Abraham Kirshner (1735-1809), a German-Jewish merchant and philanthropist from Fürth, Bavaria. He was known for his significant contributions to the local Jewish community and was instrumental in establishing several charitable institutions.
In the 19th century, the Kirshner name gained prominence in the field of medicine with the birth of Dr. Max Kirshner (1847-1916), a German physician and pioneer in the field of laryngology. He developed several medical instruments and techniques that revolutionized the treatment of throat and voice disorders.
As the Kirshner family spread across Europe and beyond, the name has been associated with various professions and achievements. Some other individuals of note include Abraham Kirshner (1889-1958), a Polish-American artist known for his Impressionist-style paintings, and David Kirshner (born 1957), an American film and television producer who has worked on several popular series and movies.
Over the centuries, the Kirshner surname has maintained its distinct German-Jewish identity, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and historical journey of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kirshner
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirshner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kirshner 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 Kirshner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 743
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 30
- Two or more races1.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 8
- Black or African American0.9% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kirshner
Kirshner 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
#42,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 508
-344 bearers (-40.4%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 15,811 places
2020
#30,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 803
+295 bearers (+58.1%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 11,658 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,829 | 852 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,640 | 508 | 0.17 | -344 bearers (-40.4%) | Down 15,811 places |
| 2020 | #30,982 | 803 | 0.27 | +295 bearers (+58.1%) | Up 11,658 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 Kirshner 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 | #42,640 | #30,982 | 27.3% |
| Count | 508 | 803 | 58.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.27 | 58.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kirshner bearers went from 508 to 803 (+58.1% change). The surname moved up 11,658 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,640 to #30,982.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kirshner
FAQ
Kirshner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kirshner?
Name Census estimates that about 921 living Americans carry the surname Kirshner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 372,155 residents.
How common is Kirshner?
Kirshner ranks #30,982 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 803 people with the surname Kirshner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (921), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Kirshner.
Has Kirshner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kirshner went from 508 recorded bearers to 803. That is an increase of 295 (+58.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #42,640 to #30,982.
What does the Census say about the background of Kirshner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirshner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Kirshner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (743 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kirshner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Kirshner (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 Kirshner mean?
A surname originating from the German word for cherry, indicating an occupation related to cherries or cherry farming. 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 Kirshner (0.27 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 Kirshner?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.