The Kohler surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,686 people carried this name — #2,177 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,700 people counted. That is up 1% from 16,477 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Kohler surname
From German Kohler, Köhler (“charcoal burner”).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Kohler» (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
7,660 people named Kohler live in Switzerland.
They live in all 26 of Switzerland’s cantons, most of all in Bern.
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 France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 2,018 people named Kohler.
201 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 67 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 Argentina’s national register
At least 786 people named Kohler 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 Poland’s population register
142 people named Kohler have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 340 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 12 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where 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 45 people named Kohler 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
1,141 people named Kohler are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
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) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Kohler in American newspapers,
1885–1938.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 231,757 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Kohler,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Heinrich Köhler 1685–1737 · translator -
Charles-Amédée Kohler 1790–1874 · chocolatier -
Jacob A. Kohler 1835–1916 · judge -
Johann Kohler 1839–1916 · teacher -
Kaufmann Kohler 1843–1926 · rabbi
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 183 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Kohler.
- Koffel 311 · U.S. census
- Koffi 377 · U.S. census
- Koffler 868 · U.S. census
- Kogut 1,600 · U.S. census
- Kohen 743 · U.S. census
- Kohl 9,303 · U.S. census
- Kohn 9,701 · U.S. census
- Kohr 1,520 · U.S. census
- Kohut 2,002 · U.S. census
- Kok 1,622 · U.S. census
- Kokot 294 · U.S. census
- Kolakowski 1,370 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Kohler 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.