Surname Kailer - Meaning and Origin
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Kailer: What does the surname Kailer mean?
The last name Kailer is an Anglicized version of the German surname Kähler, derived from the Middle High German word “kähle,” meaning “burnt or dark soil,” suggesting a family origin in a rural area. The oldest records of the Kähler surname date back to the 15th century and occur mainly in the central German state of Thuringia.
The Kähler surname was a patronymic name - which means a surname with a prefix indicating the given name of its bearer's father - and was likely the name of a farmer or a landowner in an area renowned for its dark soil. The suffix “er” in Kähler identifies its bearer as an inhabitant of a certain place and is commonly found in German surnames.
In the United States, the surname is especially frequent in Pennsylvania and other areas where German immigrants settled in the 1700s and 1800s. Today, the Kailer spelling of the last name is found throughout the English-speaking world, indicating the varied origin stories of those who have adapted the name.
Order DNA origin analysisKailer: Where does the name Kailer come from?
The last name Kailer is most common today in the United States. The surname can be traced back to in-migration to the United States in the late 19th century when it was adopted by German settlers. During this period, it was quite common for surnames to be adopted from a place of origin (in this case, Kail, which is a region in Germany).
The last name Kailer is a relatively rare occurrence in the United States compared to other surnames. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 1,222 Americans are reported to have the last name Kailer, with the largest concentration living in Nebraska (158 individuals) and Kansas (113 individuals).
Outside of the United States, the name Kailer is most commonly found in Germany and parts of Europe, although it is far less common than in the United States. It is also possible to find the Kailer surname in Australia, Canada, Norway, and Sweden, amongst other countries.
Variations of the surname Kailer
The surname Kailer is a variant or spelling of the German surname Kaehler. It is derived from the Middle German word "kalawer" which translates to mean claymaker or potter. Other variants of this surname include Kaehlar, Kaehler, Kaeler, Kahler, Kahlor, Kaler, Kaller, Keller, Kiehler, Kihler and Koller.
Kaehler is found throughout central and northern Europe, but is most prevalent in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Poland. The Kaehler surname mainly migrated to the United States, and it is the 57th most common German surname according to the 2000 Census.
Variations on the spelling of this surname began to arise in the 1800’s as people began to travel and move away from their hometowns. Additional variants and spellings became more prominent in the late-1800’s and early-1900’s as the surname followed the waves of immigrants to the United States and other countries.
In addition to Kailer, variants and alternate spellings of the surname Kaehler include Káhler, Kaeler, Kauer, Kehler, Kiehler, Kieler, Kieller, Kittler, Kyller, and Kyhler. The common lynchpin between all of these spelling variations is that they all sound and look similar, but because of the evolving spelling conventions of the time, some of the spellings may vary slightly from region to region.
Famous people with the name Kailer
- Losi Kailer: Finnish actress, model and singer.
- Sage Kailer: American actress and model.
- Todd Kailer: American professional ice hockey player.
- Eric Kailer: American golf journalist.
- Tory Kailer: American writer, artist, and entrepreneur.
- Alex Kailer: German documentary photographer.
- Max Kailer: English actor and comedian.
- Colin Kailer: New Zealand actor.
- Ryan Kailer: Canadian filmmaker and cinematographer.
- Megan Kailer: Australian author and blogger.
- Nick Kailer: American author and activist.
- Robert Kailer: American professional baseball scout.
- Levina Kailer: American choreographer and modern dancer.
- Daphne Kailer: Creative director and fashion designer.
- Michelle Kailer: South African artist, curator, and activist.
- David Kailer: Danish mathematician, professor, and computer scientist.
- Jay Kailer: British singer-songwriter and composer.