2000
#77,742
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 229
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Kohlhagen
A German surname referring to one from a place name meaning "coal garden" or "coal hedge".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 292 Americans carry the last name Kohlhagen. That puts it at #80,289 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,173,816 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kohlhagen 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
292
1 in 1,173,816
Census rank
#80,289
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
255
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 255 bearers of the surname Kohlhagen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 80289th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kohlhagen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kohlhagen
The surname Kohlhagen originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Westphalia, where the name was derived from the German words "kohl" meaning "cabbage" and "hagen" meaning "hedged field" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who cultivated or grew cabbages within an enclosed field.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kohlhagen can be traced back to the 14th century, where it appeared in various historical documents and records from the Westphalia region. During this time, the name was often spelled in different variations, such as Kohlhagen, Kohlagen, and Colhagen, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional dialects of the time.
The Kohlhagen name has been mentioned in several notable historical manuscripts, including the "Codex Diplomaticus" from the Duchy of Westphalia, dated around the 15th century. This document contained references to individuals bearing the Kohlhagen surname, providing insights into their occupations, landholdings, and social standing within the local communities.
Historically, the Kohlhagen name has been associated with various notable figures throughout the centuries. One such individual was Johann Kohlhagen, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Soest, Westphalia, during the late 16th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Christoph Kohlhagen, a skilled artisan and woodcarver who gained recognition for his intricate works in the early 17th century.
In the 18th century, the Kohlhagen name appeared in records from the town of Münster, where a family of farmers and landowners bearing this surname held significant influence and wealth. One member of this family, Heinrich Kohlhagen, was a respected community leader and served as a local magistrate in the 1770s.
As the centuries progressed, the Kohlhagen surname spread beyond the borders of Westphalia, with individuals bearing this name migrating to other regions of Germany and neighboring countries. Notable examples include Friedrich Kohlhagen, a renowned scholar and philosopher born in Saxony in the early 19th century, and Margarethe Kohlhagen, a celebrated opera singer from Bavaria who achieved international acclaim in the late 19th century.
While the Kohlhagen surname has its roots firmly embedded in the historical regions of Germany, it has since become a name found across various parts of the world, carried by descendants of those who migrated from their ancestral homeland over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kohlhagen
Among Census respondents with the surname Kohlhagen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kohlhagen 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 Kohlhagen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.6% · 254
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kohlhagen
Kohlhagen 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
#82,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 227
-2 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 5,166 places
2020
#80,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 255
+28 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 2,619 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #77,742 | 229 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,908 | 227 | 0.08 | -2 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 5,166 places |
| 2020 | #80,289 | 255 | 0.09 | +28 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 2,619 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 Kohlhagen 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 | #82,908 | #80,289 | 3.2% |
| Count | 227 | 255 | 12.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kohlhagen bearers went from 227 to 255 (+12.3% change). The surname moved up 2,619 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,908 to #80,289.
FAQ
Kohlhagen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kohlhagen?
Name Census estimates that about 292 living Americans carry the surname Kohlhagen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,173,816 residents.
How common is Kohlhagen?
Kohlhagen ranks #80,289 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 255 people with the surname Kohlhagen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (292), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Kohlhagen.
Has Kohlhagen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kohlhagen went from 227 recorded bearers to 255. That is an increase of 28 (+12.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #82,908 to #80,289.
What does the Census say about the background of Kohlhagen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kohlhagen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Kohlhagen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.6% (254 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kohlhagen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Kohlhagen (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 Kohlhagen mean?
A German surname referring to one from a place name meaning "coal garden" or "coal hedge". 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 Kohlhagen (0.09 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 common is the surname Kohlhagen?
Find out how many people have the surname Kohlhagen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.