2000
#9,595
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Kellett
Derived from a place name meaning "spring in a grove" or "hard spring" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,339 Americans carry the last name Kellett. That puts it at #10,514 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,652 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kellett 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kellett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,652
Census rank
#10,514
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,912 bearers of the surname Kellett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10514th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kellett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kellett
The surname Kellett is of English origin, originating in the northern English counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "calf" and "hyll," meaning "calf hill" or "hill where calves graze." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a particular hill or elevated area associated with grazing calves.
The earliest recorded instances of the Kellett surname date back to the 13th century, with references found in various historical records and documents. One notable mention is in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1332, which lists a John de Kellet among the landowners of the region. This early spelling variation, "Kellet," highlights the name's connection to a specific place or location.
In the 14th century, the Kellett surname appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, located in Yorkshire, further solidifying its presence in the northern English counties. The Wakefield Court Rolls from 1379 mention a William de Kellet, demonstrating the continued use of the locative prefix "de" in association with the surname.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Kellett surname was Sir John Kellett, a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lancashire in the early 15th century. He served in this capacity during the reign of King Henry VI, from 1422 to 1461. Sir John Kellett's influence and landholdings in the region contributed to the widespread recognition of the family name.
Another notable figure bearing the Kellett surname was Sir Roger Kellett, who lived in the 16th century. He served as the Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1554 and played a significant role in the local governance and administration during the Tudor period.
In the 17th century, the Kellett surname was associated with the village of Kellet, located in the historic county of Lancashire. This place name likely derived from the same linguistic roots as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the geographical location.
One of the most distinguished individuals with the Kellett surname was Sir Henry Kellett (1806-1875), a British naval officer and Arctic explorer. He embarked on several expeditions to the Arctic regions, including the search for the ill-fated Franklin expedition in the mid-19th century. Sir Henry Kellett's achievements and contributions to Arctic exploration brought significant recognition to the Kellett name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kellett
Among Census respondents with the surname Kellett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kellett 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 Kellett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 2,692
- Two or more races3.9% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 26
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kellett
Kellett 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
#9,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,513
+404 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 328 places
2020
#10,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,912
-601 bearers (-17.1%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 1,247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,595 | 3,109 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,267 | 3,513 | 1.19 | +404 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 328 places |
| 2020 | #10,514 | 2,912 | 0.97 | -601 bearers (-17.1%) | Down 1,247 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 Kellett 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 | #9,267 | #10,514 | -13.5% |
| Count | 3,513 | 2,912 | -17.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 0.97 | -18.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kellett bearers went from 3,513 to 2,912 (-17.1% change). The surname moved down 1,247 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,267 to #10,514.
FAQ
Kellett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kellett?
Name Census estimates that about 3,339 living Americans carry the surname Kellett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,652 residents.
How common is Kellett?
Kellett ranks #10,514 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,912 people with the surname Kellett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,339), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kellett.
Has Kellett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kellett went from 3,513 recorded bearers to 2,912. That is a decrease of 601 (-17.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,267 to #10,514.
What does the Census say about the background of Kellett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kellett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Kellett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (2,692 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kellett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Kellett (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 Kellett mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "spring in a grove" or "hard spring" in Old English. 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 Kellett (0.97 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 common is the surname Kellett?
You can see how common the surname Kellett is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.