NameCensus.

UK surname

Kerner

A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of candles or a chandler.

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Kerner surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 177, ranked #21,230, up from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southend-on-Sea and Camden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kerner is 193 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 247.1%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

177

2016, ranked #21,230

Peak year

2009

193 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kerner had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016, ranked #21,230.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 96 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Kerner surname distribution map

The map shows where the Kerner surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Kerner surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Kerner over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 16 #30,441
1861 historical 24 #30,922
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 75 #27,414
1901 historical 96 #23,342
1911 historical 89 #23,922
1997 modern 188 #18,324
1998 modern 178 #19,452
1999 modern 178 #19,592
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 174 #19,562
2002 modern 192 #18,767
2003 modern 189 #18,738
2004 modern 188 #18,919
2005 modern 185 #19,051
2006 modern 184 #19,254
2007 modern 183 #19,553
2008 modern 185 #19,589
2009 modern 193 #19,463
2010 modern 188 #20,235
2011 modern 185 #20,288
2012 modern 187 #20,086
2013 modern 184 #20,643
2014 modern 186 #20,664
2015 modern 183 #20,786
2016 modern 177 #21,230

Geography

Back to top

Where Kerners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southend-on-Sea and Camden. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southend-on-Sea 014 Southend-on-Sea
2 Southend-on-Sea 006 Southend-on-Sea
3 Southend-on-Sea 005 Southend-on-Sea
4 Camden 004 Camden
5 Southend-on-Sea 009 Southend-on-Sea

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Kerner

These lists show first names that appear often with the Kerner surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Kerner

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kerner, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Kerner surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Kerner household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kerner is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kerner is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kerner falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kerner is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Kerner, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kerner

The surname Kerner has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "kern," which means "core" or "kernel." Initially, the name was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone who worked with grain or lived near a granary.

Kerner is believed to have first appeared in various German regions, such as Bavaria and Saxony, as early as the 13th century. The name can be found in several historical records, including church registers and census documents from that era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kerner name is found in the town of Nürnberg, where a certain Johann Kerner was mentioned in a tax record from 1324. Another notable early example is Heinrich Kerner, a farmer from the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, whose name appears in a land deed dated 1423.

Throughout the centuries, variations of the spelling emerged, including Kernner, Kherner, and Kehrner. These variations often resulted from regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time.

Several notable historical figures bore the Kerner surname, including:

1. Justinus Kerner (1786-1862), a German poet, physician, and author known for his works on supernatural phenomena. 2. Andreas Kerner (1800-1858), a German botanist and professor at the University of Innsbruck. 3. Charlotte Kerner (1858-1931), a German opera singer and voice teacher. 4. Robert Joseph Kerner (1808-1889), an Austrian jurist and politician who served as the Minister of Justice for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 5. Anton Kerner von Marilaun (1831-1898), an Austrian botanist and professor at the University of Vienna, known for his contributions to the study of plant morphology and ecology.

The name Kerner can also be traced to various place names in Germany, such as Kerns, a town in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and Kernershausen, a village in the state of Baden-Württemberg. These places may have influenced the formation of the surname or served as the original locations from which the name spread.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Kerner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kerner surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Surrey leads with 26 Kerners recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.73x.

County Total Index
Surrey 26 10.73x
Lancashire 8 1.36x
Gloucestershire 7 7.18x
Middlesex 6 1.21x
Hampshire 2 1.96x
Nottinghamshire 2 2.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 23 Kerners recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.04x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 23 53.04x
Everton 8 42.55x
Winterbourne 7 1296.30x
Bow London 4 63.19x
Rotherhithe 3 48.86x
Andover 2 208.33x
Nottingham St Mary 2 11.54x
Fulham London 1 13.87x
Islington London 1 2.08x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Kerner surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Anna 2
Mary 2
Annie 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Clara 1
Elimy 1
Emma 1
Gertrude 1
Julia 1
Maria 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Kerner surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Kerner households.

FAQ

Kerner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kerner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Kerner surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kerner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016. That gives Kerner a modern rank of #21,230.

What does the Kerner surname mean?

A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of candles or a chandler.

What does the Kerner map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kerner bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.