NameCensus.

UK surname

Kiefer

A German occupational surname referring to a barrel maker or cooper.

In the 1881 census there were 11 people recorded with the Kiefer surname, ranking it #32,081 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 106, ranked #29,927, up from #32,081 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Haringey, Sunderland and Oxford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kiefer is 111 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 863.6%.

1881 census count

11

Ranked #32,081

Modern count

106

2016, ranked #29,927

Peak year

2013

111 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kiefer had 11 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,081 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016, ranked #29,927.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 49 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Kiefer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kiefer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kiefer 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
1881 historical 11 #32,081
1891 historical 19 #32,642
1901 historical 36 #30,099
1911 historical 49 #27,894
1997 modern 77 #29,874
1998 modern 88 #29,131
1999 modern 89 #29,168
2000 modern 89 #29,173
2001 modern 86 #29,281
2002 modern 88 #29,534
2003 modern 82 #30,206
2004 modern 82 #30,468
2005 modern 74 #31,522
2006 modern 77 #31,510
2007 modern 83 #31,183
2008 modern 84 #31,370
2009 modern 89 #31,235
2010 modern 92 #31,366
2011 modern 98 #30,384
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 106 #29,927

Geography

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Where Kiefers 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 Haringey, Sunderland, Oxford, County Durham and Basingstoke and Deane. 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 Haringey 028 Haringey
2 Sunderland 032 Sunderland
3 Oxford 004 Oxford
4 County Durham 018 County Durham
5 Basingstoke and Deane 014 Basingstoke and Deane

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kiefer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kiefer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kiefer, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Kiefer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Kiefer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kiefer 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

Kiefer 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

Kiefer falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kiefer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Kiefer

The surname Kiefer originates from the German language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Germany. It is derived from the German word "Kiefern," which means "pine trees." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked with pine trees, such as a forester or woodcutter.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kiefer can be found in the Deutsches Familiennamen-Lexikon (German Family Names Lexicon) from the 14th century, where it is mentioned as a surname in the region of Bavaria. The name was also found in other parts of Germany, such as Württemberg and Saxony.

In the 16th century, the surname Kiefer appeared in various historical records, including land registries and tax records. For example, Hans Kiefer was listed as a landowner in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1562.

The name Kiefer has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Johann Kiefer (1616-1672), a German composer and organist who worked in the court of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Kiefer (1785-1858), a German architect who designed several important buildings in Munich, including the Alte Pinakothek art museum.

In the 19th century, Otto Kiefer (1838-1920) was a German businessman and industrialist who founded a successful machine tool manufacturing company in Berlin.

Moving into the 20th century, Anselm Kiefer (born 1945) is a renowned German painter and sculptor whose works often explore themes of German history and mythology.

Finally, Hans Kiefer (1923-2010) was a German politician who served as a member of the Bundestag (German parliament) for several decades, representing the Christian Democratic Union party.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kiefer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kiefer 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 9 Kiefers recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.23x.

County Total Index
Surrey 9 17.23x
Middlesex 1 0.93x
Northumberland 1 6.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Battersea in Surrey leads with 5 Kiefers recorded in 1881 and an index of 126.58x.

Place Total Index
Battersea 5 126.58x
Camberwell 4 58.39x
Chelsea London 1 30.96x
Elswick 1 78.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Agnes 1
Elizth.E. 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 2
Charles 1
Edward 1
Emil 1
Fredk.W. 1
John 1
Lewis 1

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 Kiefer households.

FAQ

Kiefer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kiefer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11 people were recorded with the Kiefer surname. That placed it at #32,081 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kiefer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016. That gives Kiefer a modern rank of #29,927.

What does the Kiefer surname mean?

A German occupational surname referring to a barrel maker or cooper.

What does the Kiefer map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kiefer 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.