The Kessler surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 29,064 people carried this name — #1,216 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 10,200 people counted. That is up 1% from 28,869 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Kessler surname
Borrowed from German Kessler, Keßler (“kettler, kettle-smith, tinker”).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Kessler» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
3,579 people named Kessler live in Switzerland.
They live in 25 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 1,653 people named Kessler live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 1,644 people named Kessler.
108 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 61 départements, most often Haut-Rhin.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Poland’s population register
202 people named Kessler have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 314 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 14 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 109 people named Kessler live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Liège.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
91 people named Kessler is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In print
Kessler in American newspapers,
1868–1940.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 105,189 pages in all carry the name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Kessler.
- Kern 28,547 · U.S. census
- Kernen 548 · U.S. census
- Kerner 4,001 · U.S. census
- Kesler 6,704 · U.S. census
- Kessel 4,976 · U.S. census
- Kesseler 159 · U.S. census
- Kesteloot 246 · U.S. census
- Kestler 1,030 · U.S. census
- Ketels 151 · U.S. census
- Ketterer 2,620 · U.S. census
- Kettler 3,424 · U.S. census
- Keusch 320 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Kessler is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.