Find out how popular the last name Kells is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kells.

Kells, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kells surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kells in America

Kells is the 16238th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kells surname appeared 1,778 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kells.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kells to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kells

The surname KELLS is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the area around the town of Kells, County Meath. The name is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic words "ceall" or "cill," which means "church" or "monastery."

In the early medieval period, the town of Kells was home to a renowned monastic settlement and a significant center of learning and religious activity. The Book of Kells, a masterpiece of Western calligraphy and illumination, is believed to have been created by Celtic monks in the scriptorium of the monastery in Kells around the year 800 AD.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KELLS can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Maelmuire Ua Cellaigh (O'Kelly) in the year 1156. The surname is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a medieval Irish taxation record from the late 12th century.

Notable historical figures with the surname KELLS include John Kells Ingram (1823-1907), an Irish scholar and economist who served as the first president of the Royal Irish Academy. Another prominent individual was Dudley Kells (1619-1686), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles II.

In the 19th century, Sir John Kells Ingram (1835-1907), a renowned Irish mathematician and philosopher, made significant contributions to the fields of metaphysics and the philosophy of science. He was also a co-founder of the British Society for the Advancement of Science.

The surname KELLS has also been associated with several place names, such as Kells in County Meath, Ireland, and Kells Parish in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Additionally, there are variations in the spelling of the name, including Kell, Kel, and Kelly, which may have originated from the same root.

Throughout history, the surname KELLS has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, politicians, lawyers, and religious figures, all with ties to the ancient town of Kells and its monastic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kells

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kells.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kells was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kells has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kells was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kells, please contact us.

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