Show ContentsKetner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The roots of the distinguished German surname Ketner lie in the kingdom of Bavaria. The name is derived from the German word "kette," meaning "chain," and was most likely originally borne by someone who made and sold chains.

Early Origins of the Ketner family

The surname Ketner was first found in cities near the Czechoslovakian border. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Conrad der Ketner, who lived in the town of Eger in 1340. The young Ketner family was instrumental during this early period, playing a major role in the development of the region's society.

Early History of the Ketner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ketner research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1409, 1671, 1722, 1758, 1779, 1793 and 1834 are included under the topic Early Ketner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ketner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kettner, Ketner, Ketener, Kettener and others.

Early Notables of the Ketner family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ketner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ketner Ranking

In the United States, the name Ketner is the 16,119th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Ketner family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Feronica Kettner, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1733; Martin Ketner, who immigrated to Nova Scotia in 1752; Franz Kettner, who came to Texas in 1848.


Contemporary Notables of the name Ketner (post 1700) +

  • Ralph Walter Ketner (1920-2016), American businessman and philanthropist, founder of Food Lion in 1957, now with over 1,100 stores throughout the US


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook