2000
#3,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,041
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.35
Uncommon Last name
Kohl
A German and Jewish surname derived from the Middle High German word "kol" meaning "cabbage" or "coal."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,132 Americans carry the last name Kohl. That puts it at #3,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kohl 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
10K
1 in 33,829
Census rank
#3,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,836 bearers of the surname Kohl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kohl, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kohl
The surname KOHL is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "kohl," which means "coal" or "charcoal." The earliest recorded examples of this surname can be found in various medieval documents from the 13th and 14th centuries.
One possible explanation for the origins of the KOHL surname is that it may have been an occupational name given to individuals involved in the production or trade of charcoal or coal. This could include charcoal burners, coal miners, or merchants who dealt in these materials.
Alternatively, the name KOHL may have been a descriptive surname, referring to an individual's physical appearance or complexion. In some cases, it may have been used as a nickname for someone with a dark or swarthy complexion, resembling the color of coal.
In the Codex Diplomaticus Prussicus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Prussia, there are references to individuals bearing the surname KOHL as early as the 14th century. One notable example is Johannes KOHL, a landowner mentioned in a document dated 1372.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname KOHL. However, it is worth noting that surnames were not widely used at the time of the Domesday Book's compilation, as inherited family names did not become common practice until the 12th and 13th centuries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname KOHL:
1. Helmut KOHL (1930-2017), a German statesman who served as the Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998.
2. Johann Georg KOHL (1808-1878), a German-American writer and traveler known for his accounts of his travels in the United States and Canada.
3. Benjamin J. KOHL (1938-2010), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Kohl's department store chain.
4. Johann Peter KOHL (1698-1778), a German painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings.
5. Friedrich KOHL (1893-1976), a German writer and journalist who documented the rise of Nazism in Germany during the 1930s.
These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the surname KOHL who have left their mark on history in various fields, including politics, literature, business, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kohl
Among Census respondents with the surname Kohl, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kohl 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 Kohl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 8,123
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 262
- Two or more races2.9% · 256
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 78
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 77
- Black or African American0.5% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kohl
Kohl 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
#3,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,303
+262 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 3.15
Rank movement Down 192 places
2020
#3,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,836
-467 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.96
Rank movement Down 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,614 | 9,041 | 3.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,806 | 9,303 | 3.15 | +262 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 192 places |
| 2020 | #3,902 | 8,836 | 2.96 | -467 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 96 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 Kohl 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 | #3,806 | #3,902 | -2.5% |
| Count | 9,303 | 8,836 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.15 | 2.96 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kohl bearers went from 9,303 to 8,836 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,806 to #3,902.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kohl
FAQ
Kohl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kohl?
Name Census estimates that about 10,132 living Americans carry the surname Kohl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,829 residents.
How common is Kohl?
Kohl ranks #3,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,836 people with the surname Kohl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Kohl.
Has Kohl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kohl went from 9,303 recorded bearers to 8,836. That is a decrease of 467 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,806 to #3,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Kohl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kohl, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Kohl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (8,123 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kohl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Kohl (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 Kohl mean?
A German and Jewish surname derived from the Middle High German word "kol" meaning "cabbage" or "coal." 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 Kohl (2.96 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 Kohl?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.