2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kearce
A variant of the surname Kearse, itself an English locational name from various places named with the Old English components cær meaning "rock" and hors meaning "hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Kearce. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kearce surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Kearce in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kearce, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kearce
The surname Kearce has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "cerse," which meant "cress" or "watercress." This suggests that the name may have originally been given to someone who lived near a watercress bed or who was involved in the cultivation or trade of the plant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kearce can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Kearce in the county of Berkshire.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spellings, including Kearce, Kerse, Kearsey, and Kersey. These variations reflect the regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions during the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named William Kearce was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls, a census-like record of landholdings and tenures in England. He was recorded as holding land in the village of Kersey, which may have contributed to the spelling variation Kersey.
Another historical reference can be found in the 15th century, when a John Kearce was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire. These rolls documented legal proceedings and transactions related to land tenure.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert Kearce, born in 1542 in Oxfordshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a local magistrate during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Thomas Kearce (1619-1678) was a Puritan minister and author who played a role in the English Civil War. He was a vocal opponent of the monarchy and supported the parliamentarian cause.
During the 18th century, the Kearce surname was associated with the village of Kersey in Suffolk, which was known for its wool and cloth trade. The name Kersey cloth, a type of coarse, narrow woolen fabric, is believed to have originated from this location.
In the 19th century, a notable individual named John Kearce (1812-1888) was a successful industrialist and entrepreneur in the textile industry. He established several mills in Lancashire and played a significant role in the development of the region's textile manufacturing.
Throughout history, the surname Kearce has been present in various regions of England, with concentrations in counties such as Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Yorkshire, and Suffolk. While not a widely prevalent name, it has maintained a presence in the historical records and has contributed to the rich tapestry of English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kearce
Among Census respondents with the surname Kearce, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kearce bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kearce surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 107
- Black or African American5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kearce
Kearce appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-25 bearers (-19.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 33,125 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+18 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,925 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -25 bearers (-19.5%) | Down 33,125 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 15,925 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kearce surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #157,234 | #141,309 | 10.1% |
| Count | 103 | 121 | 17.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 34.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kearce bearers went from 103 to 121 (+17.5% change). The surname moved up 15,925 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #141,309.
FAQ
Kearce surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kearce?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Kearce. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Kearce?
Kearce ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Kearce. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kearce.
Has Kearce become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kearce went from 103 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 18 (+17.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Kearce?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kearce, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kearce in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kearce appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Black (5.0%), Hispanic (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kearce (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kearce mean?
A variant of the surname Kearse, itself an English locational name from various places named with the Old English components cær meaning "rock" and hors meaning "hill." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kearce (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Kearce?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Kearce, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.