Koehler
A German surname tied to a maker of pots or charcoal, or sometimes to the place-name element for a kiln or charcoal pit.
The #1,853 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 15,941 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Koehler is the German spelling usually rendered as Kohler or Köhler. It is generally explained as an occupational surname from German köhler, meaning a charcoal burner, from Kohl/Kohel in older forms connected with charcoal or coal. In some cases it may also have been influenced by similar-sounding occupational words for a maker of pots or kilns, but the charcoal-burner explanation is the standard one.
History
The surname is common in German-speaking areas and spread widely through migration to North America. English-language records often replace the umlauted form Köhler with Koehler or Kohler. The name also appears in Anglicized surname comparison lists, showing it was already recognized as a distinct German family name by the 19th century.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because German surnames were often standardized without umlauts in English records, Köhler and Koehler frequently refer to the same family line.
From the historical record
“Klouss ; Klug, Knap and Knapp, Knauber, Knaus, Knauth, Kneptue, Knop, Knowlan, Koch, Koehler and Kohler, Koen, Koesters, Kohane, Kolb, Kolp, KOPPITZ, KORACH, KORCHER, KoWEN, KrAMER, Kratz, Kraus and Krause, Kreagel, Kregleuski,”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)